Abstract

'A riot is at bottom the language of the unheard.' Martin Luther King

Riot! covers, with a reporter's eye, almost 200 years of civil disturbance on mainland Britain, and gives a voice to some of the remarkable men and women involved. Ian Hernon shows that resistance played a part, not always beneficially, in the creation of proper parliamentary democracy, the welfare state, the trade union movement, the rights of immigrants and civil liberties. All of these, it can be argued, are under renewed attack today.

Hernon tells the story of a largely unacknowledged tradition of violent protest in Britain, from the martyrs of Peterloo to the drug-fuelled street violence of today. Riot! charts how the struggles of individual groups of workers turned into a broader campaign for electoral reform and justice; how excessive use of state force failed to extinguish the fires; how the trade unions pressed for wider social justice; how Thatcherism reversed decades of gradual reform and sparked social turmoil; and how a "good" riot played a part in her downfall. Finishing with an account of the anti-globalisation movement and G8 protests, this lively book shows how the ugly roar of a mob has perhaps done more to change society than measured parliamentary debate.
'This fascinating history of riots includes the reform riots of 1831, the violence of the Chartists and the Suffragettes, the lawlessness that occurred during the bizarre police strike of 1919. It ends with the Stop the War march in London in February 2003, Britain's biggest ever demonstration and, in Hernon's view, one of the most futile protests of modern times'
Ian Pindar, The Guardian
'A well-written, thought provoking and sometimes moving account of rioting and social disturbance'
Alex Louton, Morning Star Online
'A useful primer on the civil insurrections which helped Britain lumber towards equitable political representations. He has picked out key and often overlooked episodes in working class history'
Tribune
'The latest outstanding oeuvre from the prolific pen of Liverpool Echo political correspondent Ian Hernon'
The Guardian
'His account of the build up to Peterloo and the aftermath is stirring stuff ... written with the pace and detail you would expect from an experienced journalist.'
Sarah Williams, BBC History
'A timely reminder that there is nothing new in rioting as a catalyst for political and social change. Here are the great battles which, for better or worse, helped to create our form of Parliamentary democracy and which changed the face of Britain'
Gallery News, House of Commons
'A beautifully written and graphic account of civil insurrection in this country from Peterloo to the present day - a very fine read'
The House Magazine