Reading the riot act?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> “<span word="reading">reading</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Riot">Riot</span> <span word="Act">Act</span>” <span word="in">in</span> <span word="this">this</span>: “<span word="Is">Is</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="legal">legal</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="police">police</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="remove">remove</span> <span word="protesters">protesters</span> <span word="without">without</span> <span word="reading">reading</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Riot">Riot</span> <span word="Act">Act</span>?”</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="person">person</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="asks">asks</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="question">question</span> <span word="wants">wants</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="know">know</span> <span word="whether">whether</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="police">police</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="lawful">lawful</span> <span word="thing">thing</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="remove">remove</span> <span word="protestors">protestors</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="streets">streets</span> <span word="without">without</span> <span word="telling">telling</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="laws">laws</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="broke">broke</span>, <span word="if">if</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="did">did</span>.</p><p><span word="Telling">Telling</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="laws">laws</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="broken">broken</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="reading">reading</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Riot">Riot</span> <span word="Act">Act</span>.</p><p><span word="Reading">Reading</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Riot">Riot</span> <span word="Act">Act</span>?</p><p><span word="That">That</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="metaphor">metaphor</span>. <span word="Don">Don</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="literally">literally</span>. <span word="Nobody">Nobody</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="reading">reading</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Riot">Riot</span> <span word="Act">Act</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="more">more</span>.</p><p><span word="One">One</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="history">history</span>, <span word="though">though</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="police">police</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="read">read</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Riot">Riot</span> <span word="Act">Act</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Riot">Riot</span> <span word="Act">Act</span> <span word="refers">refers</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="British">British</span> <span word="Riot">Riot</span> <span word="Act">Act</span> <span word="of">of</span> 1715. <span word="This">This</span>, <span word="from">from</span> <span word="Phrase">Phrase</span>.<span word="org">org</span>.<span word="uk">uk</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="origin">origin</span>:</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="English">English</span> <span word="law">law</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="control">control</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="unruly">unruly</span> <span word="citizens">citizens</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="usually">usually</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="responsibility">responsibility</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="local">local</span> <span word="magistrates">magistrates</span>. <span word="Any">Any</span> <span word="group">group</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="twelve">twelve</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="authorities">authorities</span> <span word="didn">didn</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="look">look</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="deemed">deemed</span> <span word="a">a</span> ‘<span word="riotous">riotous</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="tumultuous">tumultuous</span> <span word="assembly">assembly</span>’ <span word="and">and</span> <span word="arrested">arrested</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="didn">didn</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="disperse">disperse</span> <span word="within">within</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="hour">hour</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Riot">Riot</span> <span word="Act">Act</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="read">read</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="magistrate">magistrate</span>. <span word="This">This</span> <span word="seems">seems</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="little">little</span> <span word="harsh">harsh</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="in">in</span> 18<span word="th">th</span> <span word="century">century</span> <span word="England">England</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="government">government</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="fearful">fearful</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Jacobite">Jacobite</span> <span word="mobs">mobs</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="threatened">threatened</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="rise">rise</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="overthrow">overthrow</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Hanoverian">Hanoverian</span> <span word="George">George</span> <span word="I">I</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="fear">fear</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="well">well</span>-<span word="founded">founded</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="supporters">supporters</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="deposed">deposed</span> <span word="Stuarts">Stuarts</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="actually">actually</span> <span word="invade">invade</span> <span word="in">in</span> 1715 <span word="and">and</span> <span word="again">again</span> <span word="in">in</span> 1745. <span word="The">The</span> ‘<span word="Riot">Riot</span> <span word="Act">Act</span>’ <span word="was">was</span> <span word="passed">passed</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="British">British</span> <span word="government">government</span> <span word="in">in</span> 1714 <span word="and">and</span> <span word="came">came</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="force">force</span> <span word="in">in</span> 1715. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="Riot">Riot</span> <span word="Act">Act</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="formally">formally</span> <span word="called">called</span> ‘<span word="An">An</span> <span word="act">act</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="preventing">preventing</span> <span word="tumults">tumults</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="riotous">riotous</span> <span word="assemblies">assemblies</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="speedy">speedy</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="effectual">effectual</span> <span word="punishing">punishing</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="rioters">rioters</span>’ <span word="actually">actually</span> <span word="contained">contained</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="warning">warning</span>:</p>
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