Dangers:
After seeing the social breakdown in some of the major cities, many people may be looking at how they can be more aware of the dangers around them. This includes both the chances of becoming surrounded by an angry mob, being trampled, and having to deal with the reality that the police cannot reach you in time to save your life.
Tip:
Riot dangers can be generally avoided by simply not going to areas that may get violent. Often, groups will post on social media where they will be demonstrating. Follow neighborhood groups to find out if there will be danger in the area. Watch what their tone is when it comes to their level of desperation and anger. When they reach their boiling point, you do not want to be around.
Avoiding the danger is step one, but what happens if you are inside the storm? There are some warning signs of mob violence, so stay aware of your surroundings. Watch what the protesters are saying. When it degrades from an organized chant into wild expletives, it may be about to get violent. When some of the protesters start to cover their faces, violence may occur (this is to avoid identification by the police). When the police arrive and are in a more armored posture (riot shields, large chemical agents), you may be about to see violence erupt from both sides. Finally, the nighttime is time to stay away from any mob. Under the cover of darkness, some of the protesters or bad actors may find that it is a good time to get away with vandalism or other crimes.
If you find yourself in an area where you need to escape, understand that you need to get out of the direct conflict area (where people are looting, fighting with police, etc) but you need to keep moving. Mobs do not stay in one place, and if you need to escape, neither should you. Keep moving until you see people going about their normal routines, unaware of the violence. From there, go someplace safe, defensible and away from the violence.
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