In a comparative study drawing on material from the United States and Britain, David Waddington examines how various types of industrial, political, urban and sectarian disorder occur. Contemporary Issues in Public Disorder critically appraises the theoretical approaches to understanding public disorder and contributes to the ongoing debates on police methods, police accountability and the controversial role of the media.

Introduction, 1. The anatomy of a riot: The `Battle of Trafalgar', 2. Disorderly demonstrations, 3. The American urban riots, 4. The British urban riots, 5. Strike violence, 6. Football hooliganism, 7. The `Troubles' in Northern Ireland, 8. Media representations of public disorder, 9. Contemporary policing and its democratic control, 10. Conclusions