Particularly in London, mini-riots took place on almost every public occasion; like elections, fairs, and executions; where the poor caused window-smashing and looting. The Riot Act aimed to prevent this kind of tumults and riotous assemblies in a time of wide spread social disturbance, giving them an hour to disperse.
The most important riots that preceded the Riot Act were The Sacheverell Riots in 1710 and the Coronation Riots in 1714, both against George I’s government. Passed by British Parliament in 1714, the Act enabled local enforcement to approach a group of a dozen or more people that showed signs of being unlawfully and tumultuously assembled. Not only the Act had to be read out loud to take effect, but also the rioters took it as a provocation and that made the riot and chaos to spread.
Therefore, the riots continued throughout 1715, where the mobs, that consisted mostly of Tories, set Dissenting Chapels on fire while they chanted ‘No Hanoverian, No Presbyterian Government’. The government arrested the leading Tories to prevent them to rise thanks to the Riot Act.
Although the Riot Act was practiced until 1919 and did prevent the Jacobite Rising in 1715, it was unsuccessful at controlling disturbances because of its impracticality: at times, it was unclear if the Riot Act had actually been read .As to the use of force, rioters often believed that the military could not use force until one hour had passed since the reading of the proclamation. In spite of its impracticality many jurisdictions that have inherited the tradition to this day, and the expression "to read the Riot Act" remains in common use in the English language.
The most important riots that preceded the Riot Act were The Sacheverell Riots in 1710 and the Coronation Riots in 1714, both against George I’s government. Passed by British Parliament in 1714, the Act enabled local enforcement to approach a group of a dozen or more people that showed signs of being unlawfully and tumultuously assembled. Not only the Act had to be read out loud to take effect, but also the rioters took it as a provocation and that made the riot and chaos to spread.
Therefore, the riots continued throughout 1715, where the mobs, that consisted mostly of Tories, set Dissenting Chapels on fire while they chanted ‘No Hanoverian, No Presbyterian Government’. The government arrested the leading Tories to prevent them to rise thanks to the Riot Act.
Although the Riot Act was practiced until 1919 and did prevent the Jacobite Rising in 1715, it was unsuccessful at controlling disturbances because of its impracticality: at times, it was unclear if the Riot Act had actually been read .As to the use of force, rioters often believed that the military could not use force until one hour had passed since the reading of the proclamation. In spite of its impracticality many jurisdictions that have inherited the tradition to this day, and the expression "to read the Riot Act" remains in common use in the English language.
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