The police have learned to treat republican protests the Roman way

Public dissent, from riots to republicans objecting to homage to the Queen, is dealt with by the police, a force created in 1829. Romans too faced such problems, though many had no qualms about crushing free speech; and it took them some time to get a grip on them.

During the decline of the Roman Republic (c. 130-27 bc), violent crowds supporting one political faction or another regularly fought it out on the streets of Rome. The city authorities could do little but muster whatever forces were at hand to deal with it. Augustus tackled the problem head on, locating his Praetorian guard within the city and backing it up with three Urban Cohorts and official night-watchmen (mainly on the lookout for fires). Later emperors expanded the system by drawing on the standing army to provide stationarii with specific guard and crowd-control duties. We even hear of plain-clothes soldiers acting as snoopers.

But the real question was how protests and disorder, from fighting over e.g. sporting events and top actors being prevented from appearing at festivals, were handled. The central point here is that emperors needed to keep the people on side. Bloodshed was the last thing they wanted. So on certain issues (e.g. protests over food shortages), the people knew they would be heard.

Over time, in line with Seneca’s wise advice (‘resort to punishment only when all else fails’), a graduated response to such situations evolved, aiming above all to avoid excessive force. Simple insults and abuse were best ignored. Personal appeals for moderation from someone of high standing were often effective: when bakers rioted in Ephesus, the governor said he ought to imprison them but reprimanding them was more in the general interest. (Hadrian once calmed a riot by having his letter read out.) If protests continued, the leaders were arrested, and if that failed, troops were called in. That alone was often enough to disperse the crowds.

As for republican protests, the police have learned to treat them the Roman way – by turning a deaf ear.