[robowombat]

‘The worst riots in British history’, not quite. This is presentism and conveniently forgets the turbulent and often violent nature of British public life before the mid Victorian calm descended. Just one example might be cited The Gordon Riots in which ostensible anti-Catholic agitation grew into a general undrclass revolt that featured mobs rampaging out of control burning sacking and often physically demolishing the residences and businesses of disliked members of the upper lasses. Chief Justice Mansfield's magnificent town mansions was literally demolished by the mob. Interestingly the response of the London authorities was deliberately non existent since the the contemptible Lord Mayor and most if the aldermen were Whigs of a sort and wanted to embarrass the King's party by letting a mob run amok in the capitol. Only when the mobs started to attack major government institutions such as Whtehall and demolish the prions did the royal government intervene with crushing force bringing in the regular army and embodying the Militia. As a huge mob closed in on the Bank of England troops from the Brigade of Guards dispersed the mob by volley iring directly into the crowd repeatedly until it dispersed. Something over 200 fatalities occurred during this hellish week during a broiling summer heat wave. One generation forgets what others have endured without some knowledge of the past.

[Moltke]

Dickens wrote a novel about those - Barnaby Rudge.

[Publius6961]

Surely, you mean the “capital.”

[Winniesboy]

‘The worst riots in British history’, not quite. This is presentism and conveniently forgets the turbulent and often violent nature of British public life before the mid Victorian calm descended.

Thanks for your accurate perspective on this. Indeed, even in more recent times, there have been much worse. Several of the race riots of the 1980s were much more violent. The events of the last week were mostly directed at property, rather than people.

[Oatka]

Only when the mobs started to attack major government institutions such as Whitehall and demolish the prions did the royal government intervene with crushing force bringing in the regular army and embodying the Militia.

I suspect if the yobs did that today, the same response would happen. Depends upon whose ox is getting gored - or destroyed.

WIKI has a list of riots going back a ways. Sounds like a lively town.