INTRODUCTION
GAIN ATTENTION
PURPOSE
INDIVIDUAL TRAINING STANDARDS
MISSION PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
P2A.18.7, P2A.18.8, P2A.18.9
TERMINAL LEARNING OBJECTIVE
Without the aid of references and in accordance with MCWP 3-33.3, the student will understand and demonstrate the proper riot control techniques used during civil disturbance operations.
ENABLING LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Know the definition of civil disturbance operations.
2. Know the causes of civil disturbances.
3. Know the characteristics of civil disturbances.
4. Know what items of information must be briefed prior to conducting civil disturbance operations.
5. Know what equipment is required in the conduct of civil disturbance operations.
6. Know the operational tasks required to conduct civil disturbance operations.
7. Know the additional considerations required to conduct civil disturbance operations.
8. Know the unit organization that is used to conduct a civil disturbance operation.,br>
9. Know the formation commands when conducting riot control.
10. Know the immediate actions when conducting riot control.
METHOD AND MEDIA
This period of instruction will be taught through the lecture method and will be assisted by a video presentation and a Powerpoint presentation. After the lecture the class will form outside for demonstrations and piratical application of the techniques discussed here.
TESTING
This period of instruction will be evaluated through practical application during situational training exercises.
TRANSITION
BODY
1. Civil Disturbances:
Civil disturbances usually occur when participants in acts of civil protest or disobedience become antagonistic toward the government, or towards whatever segment of society represents authority, and express this protest or antagonism through overt acts of violence. In the extreme, civil disturbances can include acts of terrorism. Because a civil disturbance can easily "feed upon itself" (grow rapidly) it is extremely critical that those charged with returning the urban area to a state of normalcy seize the initiative away from an unruly crowd.
2. Causes:
Civil disturbances occur for a variety of reasons, some of the most common include:
a. Political grievances.
b. Economic situation of the urban area (lack of food, employment, etc.).
c. Community unrest (could be a combination of many reasons or a specific incident that incites irrational rhetoric that leads to a disturbance).
d. Terrorist incidents that act as a stepping-off point for an escalation of dissent into civil disturbance.
e. Foreign influences (these often play upon a domestic grievance and escalate its importance to a point where the urban populace responds with overt actions against the government or authority figures).
3. Basic Characteristics of a Civil Disturbance:
Civil disturbances may range from simple protests to full-scale civil disobedience, characteristics include:
a. May be spontaneous or may be planned to appear to be spontaneous.
b. However, they generally are planned events even though many participants may not be aware of this.
c. May have been coordinated with local authorities in advance, may have had good intentions at the onset.
d. The disturbance normally forms around an agitator(s), this is where the risk of violence increases rapidly.
e. Those behind the escalation of a civil event or protest into acts of violence normally seek to gain media attention and public sympathy.
4. Mission:
To aid local authorities in restoring law and order to the urban area.
5. Essential Briefing Items:
All Marines, prior to participating in a civil disturbance operation MUST be briefed on the following items (at the minimum, certain situations may dictate more extensive briefings):
a. Background of the situation and the specific mission of the unit.
b. Rules of Engagement (ROE).
c. Psychological aspects of the situation, specifically the types of verbal and physical abuse the Marines may have to endure.,br>
d. Media relations, how to address the media if asked to respond to a question or to make a statement.
e. Key agitators.
f. Any other special orders.
6. Equipment for Riot Control.
An individual Marine's standard equipment issue does not afford the Marine the proper protection required for the conduct of civil disturbance operations. Specialized equipment that may be issued to Marines or assigned to a Marine unit conducting these operations may include:
a. Three ft. and six ft. clear shields capable of withstanding fire, thrown objects, blunt objects and ballistics.
b. Armored vehicles to protect the formation and offers shock effect if necessary.
c. Riot Batons.,br>
d. Flexcuffs.
e. Riot control agent dispensers.
f. Floodlights, spotlights.
g. Night observation equipment.
h. Fire fighting equipment.
i. Hand held communication devices.
j. Hand held video cameras.
k. Public address systems, bullhorns.,br>
l. Rubber bullet weapons.,br>
m. Face shields designed to fit on standard helmet.
n. Internal helmet padding.
o. Protective vests designed to protect torso and arms.
7. Operational Tasks:
a. Isolate the Area:
1) Prevent disorder from spreading to unaffected areas.
2) Move uninvolved people from the area as quickly as possible.
3) Prevent unauthorized people from entering the affected area.
4) Allow crowd an exit to disperse the area peacefully and at the same time preventing the escape of the key agitators and participants in the civil disturbance.
b. Control the Area:
1) Control measures, such as barricades or obstacles, must be used with respect to the crowd size, temperament, cooperativeness and degree of organization.
2) A controlled force can easily disperse an unorganized, uncooperative crowd as the unorganized crowd lacks agitator leadership.
c. Monitor the Area:
1) Monitoring is performed by observation teams who gauge the crowd's activity and intent in relation to the overall civil disturbance.
2) Monitoring is normally used when a crowd size is so large that force may only escalate the situation.
3) Monitoring usually involves establishing contact with the crowd leaders in order to begin a negotiation process.
d. Dispersing:
1) The intent is to fragment the crowd into several smaller groups in the hope that crowd members will return home.
2) This should be a filtering system where the dispersal routes are controlled.
3) Usually involves additional agencies to help control the dispersal.
4) A proclamation may be announced to facilitate crowd dispersal. This may encourage and support law-abiding elements within the crowd. For example "Marines are advancing now. They will not stop until the crowd is dispersed and order is restored. To avoid injuries, leave the area at once. Return to your homes as peaceful citizens. Marines have their orders and they will not stop until the crowd is dispersed. Do not get hurt. Leave the area peacefully.:
8. Additional Considerations:
a. The task force commander is normally authorized to issue live ammunition to troops under his command. However, it must always be taken under consideration that loaded weapons in a tense situation may invite the use of deadly force in response to a provocation that might not justify the use of deadly force.
b. Riot control agents have many advantages over other riot control measures. Rioters do not easily develop a tolerance to these agents and do not possess effective protection measures.
c. Deadly force is only authorized when the following conditions exist:
1) Lesser means have been exhausted or are unavailable.
2) The risk of death or bodily harm to innocent people is not increased by the use of deadly force.,br>
3) In self-defense to avoid death or serious bodily harm.
4) Prevention of crimes that involve substantial risk of death or bodily harm.
5) Detention or prevention of the escape of a person, who during detention or while escaping, presents a clear threat of loss of life or serious bodily harm to another person.
9. Riot Control Organization:
When properly employed and executed against a crowd of limited size, riot control formation are one of the most practical methods of crowd control. However, these formations are not the answer to all civil disturbance situations. The commander must not subject his troops to sniper fire and violence simply to make a "show of force." In these cases, area control measures such as building searches and saturation patrolling may be more appropriate. The three basic types of riot control formations are:
a. Line
b. Wedge
c. Echelon
10. Commands:
Commands can be given either verbally or with hand signals. These commands will be used to control the formation and the formation's movement rate. Certain commands may be accentuated to give off a psychological effect such as stomping with the left foot while moving forward slowly. The commander may call a quick time cadence to keep pressure on a crowd that is withdrawing.
11. Immediate Actions:
Depending on where the threat is and how the crowd is moving you may have to change the shape of the formation.
QUESTIONS
SUMMARY
The MOUT Homepage Hot Links:
U.S. Army FM 19-15 Civil Disturbances
Tactics, Techniques and Procedures for Civil Disturbances (Operation Joint Endeavor)
Riot Response: An Innovative Approach (Police)
Crowd Control Measures (Lesson Guide)
Understanding Riots (Cato Journal)
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