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About This Quiz
Riots can break out in an instant, if the right trigger hits at the right time. Trained riot control specialists do a lot more than crack skulls. Grab your shield and take this riot quiz -- if you know what's good for you.
Who said, "A riot is the language of the unheard"?
Herbert Hoover
Malcolm X
Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. believed in nonviolent protest, but this was his quote about riots.
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What is the main legal difference between a riot and a lawful assembly?
the number of police required
the protest issue
the violence
Lawful assemblies and riots differ in terms of the violence. Riots involve violence, and they can even spring from lawful assemblies.
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True or false: Poverty and race are the two underlying issues that most commonly fuel riots.
True
All kinds of things can spark a riot, but many times race and poverty are underlying factors.
False
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What kind of mentality does a riot take on?
riotous
mob
Once a group of people assemble and violence erupts, they tend to gang together in a mob mentality.
frenzied
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When is a riot not likely to occur?
during bad weather
Studies have shown that very few riots occur when it's raining or cold.
in the summer
at dawn
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Experts believe a heightened sense of solidarity helps to explain which type of riot?
sports
prison
both
While a common cause is at the root of any riot, experts believe that a heightened sense of solidarity can help explain both prison and sports riots.
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True or false: Alcohol is one of the main ingredients in a sports riot.
True
Very true. Experts believe that the consumption of alcohol can be the major fuel component for a sports riot.
False
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Rioters are typically armed with what?
homemade weapons
whatever they can find at the scene
Because riots are not planned, rioters are most often armed with whatever they can find at the scene of the riot.
rocks and baseball bats
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Which of these things really happened on April 29, 1992?
a jury acquitted police officers in the Rodney King trial, sparking a riot
Actually, O.J. Simpson was acquitted of murder, and the NBA Finals are in June. So that leaves the Rodney King riots as the correct answer.
the L.A. Lakers won the NBA Championship, sparking a riot
O.J. Simpson was found guilty of murder, sparking a riot
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How many people were killed in the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles?
54
There were a total of 54 lives lost during the Los Angeles Rodney King riots.
4
They were bloody, but nobody was killed during the L.A. riots.
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In 1943, false rumors sparked a racially-fueled riot in which city?
Detroit
The year: 1943. The city: Detroit. The result: 34 people dead.
Miami
Brooklyn
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What are the two things needed to start a riot?
alcohol and weapons
fuel and spark
While those other things may play a part, every riot, like every fire, needs both fuel (e.g. prolonged racial oppression) and a spark (e.g. assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.) to ignite.
people and rocks
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Where does the arrest team assemble in a riot control formation?
on the edges
in the center
Key rioters are gobbled up into the formation where they are met in the center by the arrest team.
out front
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What is one reason horses and dogs are used by riot control teams?
They are intimidating animals.
They are instinctive dispersers.
They are relatively unaffected by tear gas.
Because dogs and horses are unaffected by tear gas, they are often used to help disperse a riot.
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These days, riot control squads are known as what?
riot dispersal teams
crowd dispersal squad
crowd-management unit
"Crowd-management unit" is the latest term for riot teams.
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Riot shields are made from what material?
Kevlar
Lexan
Candy glass is the opposite of Lexan, the material use for riot shields.
Candy Glass
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Nonlethal rounds filled with stinging capsaicin are called what?
pepperball rounds
Ferret and stinger rounds are used in riot control, but pepperball rounds are the rounds that are filled with pepper spray.
stinger rounds
ferret rounds
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In which city did the riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention take place?
Detroit
Chicago
Chicago is known for many things, and unfortunately the 1968 riots is one of them.
Watts -- Los Angeles
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What's the first step in controlling a riot?
surrounding the crowd
making an example of someone
intimidation
The first step in controlling a riot is intimidation. Incidentally, you also always want to leave an escape route for rioters, so surrounding them is no good.
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True or false: The main goal of a riot squad is to arrest as many of the rioters as possible.
True
False
Not so! The main goal is to disperse the crowd.
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You Got:
/20
Paul Kennedy/Lonely Planet Images/Getty Images
