Knowing the etymological origin of the term riot is the first thing we are going to do, before delving into its meaning. In this case, we can highlight that it is a word that derives from Latin since it was formed from the sum of several lexical components of said language:
-The prefix «dis-«, which means «separation».
-The verb "turbare", which can be translated as "disturb" or "put in disorder."
-The suffix «-io», which is equivalent to «relationship».
A disturbance is called an alteration that modifies the normal or peaceful state of something. It can be a revolt , an uprising , a mutiny , a protest or a tumult .
For example: "The riots began when the referee expelled two players from the local team," "The governor ordered the police not to intervene as he intends to prevent riots," "A riot at the federal prison caused three deaths."
It can be said that riots are confrontations or conflicts that disrupt order . They generally arise when the intensity of a claim increases and violent actions begin to develop. In this situation, it is common for the corresponding authority to respond and seek to restore order by force .
Suppose that a group of protesters protests in front of the Government House about the social and economic crisis that a country is going through. People, in this context, demand the president's resignation. In the middle of the demonstration, some people begin to throw stones and even try to enter the Government House : the police, therefore, decide to repress the rioters and protect the premises. This triggers a disturbance that can cause injuries and even deaths.
In other cases, disturbances do not cause major inconveniences and are quickly controlled. In the middle of a soccer game, players from both teams can push and even hit each other after an infraction committed by one of them. The referee, to end the disturbance, separates the rivals, sanctions the violent ones with a yellow or red card depending on the violation of the regulations committed and then orders the game to be resumed.
Throughout history there have been important riots, among which we can highlight, for example, those in Brixton (London) in 1981. That neighborhood had high crime rates and it was decided to put not only more police but also implement certain measures that the neighbors did not like. This situation and the fact that it was believed that some officers were letting a young man who had been stabbed die, when in reality they were helping him, caused a riot that left 45 civilians and 279 police officers injured.
Not to mention that about 30 buildings were burned and the same thing also happened to about 100 cars.
The Stonewall riots, which took place in 1969 against a police raid on the gay pub that gives it its name and which was located in the New York neighborhood of Greenwich Village, are also relevant since they are considered the starting point of the LGTBI movement and of pro-gay activism.