Why do riots spread as they do?

[Global Geezer]

I can understand if they are in areas where people have similar axes to grind; such as in the 'Textile Towns' in 2001 when the Asian youth rose up against feelings of being alienated and ossified from wider society.

I can even understand riots spreading within a certain area, such as Tottenham in 2011, being followed up by Enfield and Tottenham Hale retail park.

But some riots just seem very indiscriminate: Last year, trouble broke out in Amiens, at the top of France; the following night, it was reported in Toulouse, right at the other end of the country.

At certain times, you have the 'usual suspect' areas (Tottenham, Brixton, Hansworth, Toxteth, St. Pauls etc) but other times, they spread like wildfire around areas which are largely unconnected. In 1991, trouble flared in Telford, Cardiff, Oxford, Dudley and Newcastle, and none of those places are either culturally similar, or near to eachother.

So why do they spread as they do?
Is there a kind of 'hundredth monkey syndrome' where a thought or fear moves almost 'telepathically' amongst the criminal underclass of a nation - even if they are hundreds of miles apart.

How does social media affect the spread of civil unrest?

[Aaron]

Because governments all over the world over tax and overwork people. America is no different we have about a 40% tax. Income tax property tax sales tax. And then all it takes is a spark like for instance a rodney king beating by the police... government employees. Then if the sentiment is the same else where the riot sparks more riots till we throw off and devour our oppresors like a wild banshee wolf ripping an baby opposum to bleeding shreds.

[corncrake]

I live in one of the other smaller cities that decided to join in after the london riots and the people who were silly enough to act up were just trying to get in on the action so to speak like boasting or trying to look hard. I don't think the triggers are as straight cut as believed (the rebellion against poverty etc) as it becames pretty obvious that the original flash point in london (a peaceful march against the police) was hijacked by a minority hellbent on causing trouble totally opposite of the aim. These people then spotted the police's inaction and vastly undermanned opposition took to facebook,twitter and the totally private blackberry message system to call for backup out pacing the police everytime.

They did'nt just randomly roll through areas they selected the more attractive ones (high streets,malls etc) then moved on to the next loot spot when it had been stripped. Mob mentality (the sense of getting away with it because you know you are in a crowd so no can tell who did what?) kicked in but in the aftermath i guess their greed and ignorance was their downfall as pretty most of their targets had high grade cctv and their communities literally openly defied them by coming together in some places and helped each other clear up and spoke to each other in reaction to the situation.

[Jody]

Riots are exciting and since they break out suddenly police forces are usually inadequate to respond.

An immediate cause - there's always an immediate cause for riots to start, whether a small incident or a major event. The death of Mark Duggan for instance, was the immediate cause for the riots to start in London, but the spread of riots had little or nothing to do with his death.

Inherent problems - another reason riots start and spread is the existence of some inherent problem in the system that has been ignored for too long. This problem is usually so deep that even more sensible people are sometimes forced to take sides and join the rioting. It could be based on ethnicity, race, religion or some other criteria that drives deep wedges in the society.

Mob mentality - individuals suspend their own judgement and blindly indulge in the violent activities initiated by others around them

Instigators, people who have something to gain by triggering and seeing rioting continue are often effective in volatile conditions, whether they are hiding behind political leaders, dictators, religious leaders or local thugs.

Social media exacerbates the problem by sensationalistic press coverage, driving deeper wedges between opposing sides and can be the catalyst for triggering riots in other towns.