Policing protest

Policing a demonstration is rarely a simple matter. Democratic police forces must balance two goals that often pull against each other: maintaining order and protecting the public's freedom to demonstrate. This collection compares how that balance plays out across eight countries: Italy, France, Germany, Great Britain, Switzerland, Spain, the United States and South Africa. The contributors examine how national political systems and cultural traditions shape the way police approach protest. They also look at what these approaches look like in practice and what effects they have on demonstrators and the wider public.