The 2011 English riots in recent historical perspective

The riots of 2011 arguably represent the most significant civil disorder on mainland Britain in at least a generation. Over four days there were five deaths, injuries to dozens of police officers and civilians, and damage to property running into the tens of millions of pounds. Commentators writing in the aftermath of the riots have pointed both to what are taken to be unusual aspects of the 2011 disorders – the role of gangs, the nature and extent of looting, the and use of social media among others – as well as some of the parallels with previous riots. In placing the 2011 riots in their recent historical context this article outlines a model for structuring comparative analysis of disorder and then moves on to consider some of the similarities between 2011 and riots in the post-war period, concluding by identifying four significant points of departure.