But walk through a modern protest zone. Watch the officers lock arms in a skirmish line. Listen to the amplified warning: "You are ordered to disperse. This assembly is unlawful." See the orange canisters of OC spray arc into a crowd.
Fifty years later, as the pavement heats up and the helicopters circle, the ghost of POMAN stands at every officer’s shoulder, whispering the same three words: Isolate. Contain. End. public order manual poman 1971
The manual provides a framework for managing public order incidents, specifically when a situation exceeds the standard capacity of civil policing and requires a coordinated response between the police and military. But walk through a modern protest zone