The Psychology of the Riot
Briefly

President Trump ordered Marines into Los Angeles amid immigration protests following violence and looting, prompting legal action from Governor Newsom who deemed the action unlawful. Trump's stance emphasized the necessity of military intervention to prevent larger chaos. Additionally, the article explores crowd psychology, suggesting that anonymity in large gatherings may push individuals, typically law-abiding, toward violence, akin to reactions seen in online behavior. Understanding the psychological triggers of crowd violence is crucial as authorities strive to respond effectively.
The anonymity afforded by throngs, plus the hampering of the police getting access to individuals, means some will now "have a go" when they wouldn't have otherwise.
This is not a dissimilar model to why the internet and social media appear to provoke more aggressive trolling than is apparent in direct human interaction.
The psychological understanding of exactly why crowds turn violent might be vital if the authorities are to get the response right.
Crowd psychology suggests that even relatively law-abiding citizens can be transformed into violent participants by the mobilizing effect of group dynamics.
Read at Psychology Today
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