History Main / PowderKegCrowd

* Woodstock 99 had its attendants in a scorching hot former air base, being borderline price-gouged ($4 for a water bottle, $12 for an individual pizza) and with at least two musicians stimulating bad behavior (Music/KidRock [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbcGePEaf8o#t=150s asked the audience to toss anything "that can't hurt each other"]], resulting in an impressive [[ProducePelting shower of bottles]]; Music/LimpBizkit riled up the crowd during "Break Stuff", and even sexual assaults ensued). So after two already chaotic days, in the third there was a ''literal'' flame to ignite the angry mob, and ironically meant for peace: an anti-gun violence organization PAX had distributed candles to those stopping at their booth during the day, intending them for a candlelight vigil to be held during the Music/RedHotChiliPeppers' concert. Thus during the band's set, the ignited candles led to huge bonfires fueled by plastic bottles, plywood pieces from the security fence, and eventually vendor booths and merch tents that had just beem ramsacked (the [=ATMs=] of the place were equally looted), with the riot only being diffused once the New York State Troopers and local law enforcement arrived. Seeing the resurrection of a "peace and love" festival finish in such unrest and violence [[FranchiseKiller guaranteed the retirement of the Woodstock brand]].

* Attempted in ''VideoGame/BravelyDefault'' in the nation of Ancheim. Khamer, the Time Mage, and king of Ancheim, tries to push the nation towards Anticrystalism by ordaining hard manual labor to man the turbines that provide energy to the city to substitute for the winds stopping due to the corruption of the crystals. he also gives the Profiteur Merchantry free reign to seize the water supplies and inflate the price of water, while thieves under their employ rob anyone who attempts to sidestep this by going to the nearby oasis. Both of these would erode the resolve of the citzens and build up pent-up frustration that the king intended to unleash upon the Wind Vestal, were it not for Agnès diffusing the situation by restoring the Wind Crystal and with it the winds powering Ancheim. One of Khamer's subordinates, Khint the Spell Fencer, even describes Ancheim as a powder keg waiting to be set off by any spark of trifling grievances.

* In ''Film/HalloweenKills'', the Haddonfield citizens gathering at the hospital to inquire about loved ones in the wake of [[Film/Halloween2018 Michael’s renewed attacks]] form one as Tommy Doyle rallies them to take down Myers once and for all. Unfortunately, the crowd is set off when another Smith’s Grove patient, who escaped alongside Michael Myers but isn’t working with him and ultimately harmless, is mistaken for Myers, causing the rage-fueled crowd to give chase through the hospital. [[spoiler:Ultimately, the mob doesn’t realize their mistake until after the patient desperately attempts to escape through a window and dies messily.]]

[[quoteright:310:[[Series/BabylonBerlin https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/babylon_berlin.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:310:[[Film/ShaunOfTheDead "...You've got red on you."]]]]

[[quoteright:320:[[Series/BabylonBerlin https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/babylon_berlin_tv_show_sky_5.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:320:[[Film/ShaunOfTheDead "...You've got red on you."]]]]

[[folder: Live-Action Television]]

** Most analysts agree that the decision to fire on peaceful, unarmed civilians attracted sympathy for the protesters that would not otherwise have existed, which in turn led to increased turnout at the protests. This is borne out by the results in Libya, Yemen, and Syria, where the protest movement grew each time it was reported the police or army had fired upon civilians; this led Syria and Yemen into a state of vague turmoil and led the Libyans to take up arms. The only way (it seems) for a strategy of brutal violence to work is if it is done whole-hog and very quickly; the Bahraini government managed to crush the protest movement, but only because hardliners did not hesitate to use the military to break up the sit-in at Pearl Roundabout and then [[SummonBiggerFish call in Saudi and Emirati troops]] to quell the uprising once and for all.

* Woodstock 99 had its attendants in a scorching hot former air base, being borderline price-gouged ($4 for a water bottle, $12 for an individual pizza) and with at least two musicians stimulating bad behavior (Music/KidRock [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbcGePEaf8o#t=150s asked the audience to toss anything "that can't hurt each other"]], resulting in an impressive [[ProducePelting shower of bottles]]; Music/LimpBizkit riled up the crowd during "Break Stuff", and even sexual assaults ensued). So after two already chaotic days, in the third there was a ''literal'' flame to ignite the crowd, and ironically meant for peace: an anti-gun violence organization PAX had distributed candles to those stopping at their booth during the day, intending them for a candlelight vigil to be held during the Music/RedHotChiliPeppers' concert. Thus during the band's set, the ignited candles led to huge bonfires fueled by plastic bottles, plywood pieces from the security fence, and eventually vendor booths and merch tents that had just beem ramsacked (the [=ATMs=] of the place were equally looted]]), with the thing only being diffused once the New York State Troopers and local law enforcement arrived. Seeing the resurrection of a "peace and love" festival finish in such unrest and violence [[FranchiseKiller guaranteed the retirement of the Woodstock brand]].

[[folder:Radio]]
* ''Radio/OurMissBrooks'': In "School on Saturday", Madison High's students are in an angry protesting mob outside the school. They're angry because, you guessed it, they're being forced to go to school on Saturday. They even have plans to burn the principal, Mr. Conklin, in effigy. Mr. Conklin sends Miss Brooks outside to make a speech to calm them down.

* In Creator/SandyMitchell's ''Literature/CiaphasCain'' novel "For the Emperor", Cain is sent to a newly minted regiment that had been roughly merged from the remains of two widely different regiments: the Valhallan 206th (an all-female garrison unit) and the Valhallan 301st (an all male frontline assault unit). Tensions between the two had simmered over into a BarBrawl that left several soldiers and crewmen of the transport they were aboard injured or dead, but Cain is able to pull rank and get the Valhallans to tolerate each other under the new banner of the 597th. After he's dealt with that, Cain then has to deal with a much larger version of this when the regiment's assigned to a whole ''planet'' which is in this state thanks to the Tau's attempts to annex it (in their usual BreadAndCircuses fashion). It quickly turns out that ''someone'' is trying to set off the civil war. [[spoiler: It turns out to be a [[YouWillBeAssimilated Genestealer cult]] trying to sow disorder before a [[SwarmOfAlienLocusts Tyranid]] invasion.]]

** It didn't help that he made the speech only a few minutes' walk away from the People's House (now the Palace of Parliament)--a behemoth that even to this day is the heaviest building in the world AND the most expensive government building anywhere. This building had not only swallowed up to a third of the struggling nation's budget, but also had displaced hundreds of Romanians, who had been forced to move out of their homes with as little as only a few hour's notice. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opoGlCP20Co Simon Whistler tells the story of that monstrosity here, including the role it played in the revolution]] and alluding to the fact that Ceauşescu completely failed to realize [[TheUnfettered just how little the Romanians had left to lose]].

* The [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_Los_Angeles_riots 1992 LA Riots]]. There was large amounts of tension even before the officers involved in the Rodney King incident were acquitted (due to an AsianStoreOwner who shot a black girl that she thought was shoplifting a [[DisproportionateRetribution $2 bottle of orange juice]], being given only 5 years probation), as well as the rampant poverty in the area. The officers' acquittal was just the [[BerserkButton straw that broke the camel's back]], so to speak.

** It didn't help that he made the speech only a few minutes' walk away from the People's House (now the Palace of Parliament)--a behemoth that even to this day is the heaviest building in the world AND the most expensive government building anywhere. This building had not only swallowed up to a third of the struggling nation's budget, but also had displaced thousands of Romanians, who had been forced to move out of their homes with as little as only a few hour's notice. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opoGlCP20Co Simon Whistler tells the story of that monstrosity here, including the role it played in the revolution]] and alluding to the fact that Ceauşescu completely failed to realize [[TheUnfettered just how little the Romanians had left to lose]].

** It also didn't help that he made the speech from The People's House--a behemoth that even to this day is the heaviest building in the world AND the most expensive government building anywhere. This is because this building had not only swallowed much of the struggling nation's budget, but also had displaced thousands of Romanians, who had been forced to move out of their homes with as little as only a few hour's notice. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opoGlCP20Co Simon Whistler tells the story of that monstrosity here, including the role it played in the revolution]]--including the fact that Ceauşescu completely failed to realize [[TheUnfettered just how little the Romanians had left to lose]].

* In Creator/SandyMitchell's ''Literature/CiaphasCain'' novel "For the Emperor", the regiment. It does erupt in a murderous riot, and coping with it puts him to the test. After he's dealt with that, he then has to deal with a much larger version of this when the regiment's assigned to a whole ''planet'' which is in this state thanks to the Tau's attempts to annex it (in their usual BreadAndCircuses fashion). It quickly turns out that ''someone'' is trying to set off the civil war. [[spoiler: It turns out to be a [[YouWillBeAssimilated Genestealer cult]] trying to sow disorder before a [[SwarmOfAlienLocusts Tyranid]] invasion.]]

* ''Literature/ProvostsDog''

-->-- '''Creator/TerryPratchett''', ''Discworld/{{Thud}}''

** Though not a pre-riot mob, in ''Discworld/{{Jingo}}'', Vimes find the crowd around a man railing against Klatch to be disturbing because they're not cheering, they're ''listening''.
** The provocative case occurs off stage in ''Discworld/NightWatch'' and results in many deaths. The defused kind turns up when Vimes expends a great deal of effort ensuring that it doesn't happen at his post.
** Another instance occurs in ''Discworld/GuardsGuards'' when an angry crowd surrounds Lady Sybil's dragon sanctuary; on this occasion, Vimes manages to calm them down by threatening to use one on them.
** In ''Discworld/UnseenAcademicals'', the Shove is ''always'' a Powder Keg Crowd. [[spoiler:Neatly defused by Nutt at the climax.]]
** In ''Discworld/{{Thud}}'', trolls and dwarfs. Even, alas, in the Watch. At one point, Vimes notices how rumor is spreading through a crowd of dwarfs, and thinks "This crowd was waiting uncertainly for news that it was going to become a riot."
** The village of Escrow in ''Discworld/CarpeJugulum''. Despite the Count's talk, they are clearly ''not'' that happy with the bloodletting "arrangement". [[spoiler:As soon as they see the vampires are off their game, the mayor tries to strangle the Count and a number of them get staked. Then they proceed ''silently'' to the castle to pursue the ones who escaped.]]

Something is seriously wrong, and a crowd of people -- usually [[WorkingClassPeopleAreMorons common]], [[LowerClassLout lower-class]], etc. -- has gathered. They are discontented and angry, but not really whipped up. They don't really have a plan in mind, unless they are protesting something, in which case the overt purpose is usually WavingSignsAround. Sometimes, they would gladly riot, but the number of soldiers, police, or other warnings of force keep them in check with an implied WhoWillBellTheCat -- the first person to riot will clearly die.

* An angry mob forms at the jail house in ''Film/{{Fury 1936}}''. [[ProducePelting A tomato thrown at the sheriff]] escalates the riot.

* In ''Film/TheHungerGames'', a crowd in District 11 is shown watching the Hunger Games. When [[spoiler: Rue dies and Katniss salutes her]], an angry man in the crowd (implied to be [[spoiler:Rue's [[PapaWolf father]]]]) starts attacking the guards, provoking a full scale riot.

** Another instance occurs in ''Discworld/GuardsGuards'' when an angry crowd surrounds Lady Sybil's dragon sanctuary; on this occasion Vimes manages to calm them down by threatening to use one on them.

* In John Barnes' ''Literature/OneForTheMorningGlory'', Prince Amadeus faces such a crowd and manages to persuade them that they had come to draw matters to his attention, and that he would deal with them.

* ''Literature/TheRifter'': In Gisa, when the prisoners accused of witchcraft are due to be taken to the Payshmura temple by a troop of rashan’im soldiers, a huge crowd gathers in front of the prison gates, singing and shouting to the soldiers to go home. The guards at the gate don’t interfere. Even the soldiers hesitate, but the situation is hanging on a knife-edge between them leaving or starting a massacre, when TheCavalry arrives in the form of kahlirash’im warrior-priests who turn out to not agree with the Payshmura priests at all. The rashan’im turn tail.

** Solarn appears to be a city of intrigue and politics, but with the arrival of the Wasps, violence erupts. Che thinks it's been a power keg all along.

* Lampshaded in ''Literature/TheCavesOfSteel'' when the protagonist is told by his android partner that they're BeingWatched by a large group of anti-robot activists. He fears they plan to expose his partner as a robot and start a riot, but realises that the activists would also be at risk of being trapped in the chaos.

* ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'' has Officier Frank Tenpenny, who is the most crooked and corrupt cop in the entire Los Santos region that goes out of his way to make life for gangs (and possibly poor/impoverished people in general) hell. Towards the end of the game, Tenpenny was taken to court on the account of all the seedy things he done. However, Tenpenny was cleared on all charges due to lack of evidence and witnesses. The outcome of the trial causes the entire Los Santos neighborhood to ignite in a massive riot as the rioters demanded Tenpenny's head on a plate for his actions.

* In ''Roleplay/TheGamersAlliance'', when a mob consisting of [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Sarquil]] refugees goes to confront the demon population of [[TheMagocracy Alent's]] [[TheCityNarrows Threshold district]] who have been kidnapping and killing their people as of late, they face Alent's Anti Mage Police who try to calm them all down while the Thresholders send an emissary to defuse the situation and explain that the kidnappings were done by rogue demons and not Threshold as a whole. [[HopeSpot It initially looks like peace will be restored]] thanks to good diplomacy and sensible people from all sides trying to sort things out, until several unfortunate incidents, including the appearance of a dark knight who [[NiceJobBreakingItHero set a dangerous prioner free and had him flee into Threshold]], an angry Sarquil Sheikh who [[AmbitionIsEvil wants to rouse the crowd for his own power play reasons]], and the [[BitchInSheepsClothing Sarquil]] [[{{Doppelganger}} Sultana]] who finally does rally the crowd behind her with her authority, [[FromBadToWorse finally make the metaphorical powder keg explode]] and turn the scene into a full-blown riot between the Sarquil, Threshold demons, and Anti Mage Police. Alent's East Side becomes only a little short of a warzone as rioting spreads there with each of the three sides killing their enemies on sight, leaving hundreds if not thousands dead in their wake.

* In the ''[[WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants [=SpongeBob=] [=SquarePants=]]]'' episode "Bubble Buddy", a crowd of people become enraged at the eponymous bubble. Once they're set off, they tip over the the lifeguard stand and attempt to kill the lifeguard before focusing their rage on Bubble Buddy.

* According to ''WesternAnimation/TheBoondocks'', all it takes to turn a mildly disgruntled crowd - especially a black crowd - into a full blown riot is someone throwing a chair. This starts off sounding like Riley's normal level of hyperbole, until he actually does so: the crowd stops, one guy yells "I'M MAD" and punches someone else at random, and it all instantly descends into an orgy of violence. This, despite the fact that it was Riley the crowd was angry at, and that the chair ''didn't even hit anyone''.

* Famously the Romanian revolution against Nicolae Ceauşescu. In a time of great public unrest it probably wasn't the smartest idea to round up "supporters" to attend a rally to promote loyalty to the regime. A few minutes into the presidents speech, the crowd got fed up with his delusional talk and everything went downhill within minutes, forcing Ceauşescu to retreat inside the building. To make things worse, the whole event was broadcast live on TV. The next morning the military joined the protesters and three days later Ceauşescu was executed.

** Most analysts agree that the decision to fire on peaceful, unarmed civilians attracted sympathy for the protesters that would not otherwise have existed, which in turn led to increased turnout at the protests. This is borne out by the results in Libya, Yemen, and Syria, where the protest movement grew each time it was reported the police or army had fired upon civilians; this led Syria and Yemen into a state of vague turmoil, and led the Libyans to take up arms. The only way (it seems) for a strategy of brutal violence to work is if it is done whole-hog and very quickly; the Bahraini government managed to crush the protest movement, but only because hardliners did not hesitate to use the military to break up the sit-in at Pearl Roundabout and then [[SummonBiggerFish call in Saudi and Emirati troops]] to quell the uprising once and for all.
** Also, a government which won't fire on its citizens is a good candidate for genuine reform, while a regime which kills its own people kind of ''needs'' overthrowing.

* The infamous French [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Bartholomew%27s_Day_massacre St. Bartholomew's Day massacre]]. It was intended (ordered by the king [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_IX_of_France Charles IX of France]] after long pressures from [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_de%27_Medici his mother]] and her counsellors) to be [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Wars_of_Religion the mere murder of the French calvinist leaders]], who were then gathered in Paris because of the wedding of their chief (the future [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_IV_of_France king Henry IV]]) with Charles IX sister. This elimination quickly went out of control and violent catholic mobs started to kill Parisian calvinists anywhere. This slaughter ''extended to the whole country'' the following days.

* Since ''Series/BabylonBerlin'' is set in UsefulNotes/TheWeimarRepublic, a riot is characterised as something of a weekly occurrence (and only if it's not interrupted by an attempted revolution or coup d'etat). In the show, a (Communist) 1st of May demonstration in [[UsefulNotes/{{Berlin}} Kreuzberg]] gets out of hand, and it ends with the police driving by with ''armoured cars'' and spraying the streets with machine gun fire.

* The [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_draft_riots 1863 New York City draft riots]]. People were annoyed at the draft (which allowed the wealthy to buy their way out) and the Emancipation Proclamation (many whites not thinking that abolitionism was a cause to die for, and many of the working class being pro-slavery). What was the spark? A fireman was drafted. Three days later, the riot ended. The total dead is still debated, with estimates ranging from 120 to 2,000.