In relation to the recent little india riot, would like to quote some part of the article from a book I read.
Why Mobs Become Angry
An angry mob or group of protestors fighting for a mutual purpose does not react in the same way as an individual does when his territory is invaded; in fact, something very different occurs. As the density of the crowd increases, each individual has less personal space and starters to feel hostile, which is why, as the size of the mob increases, it becomes angrier and uglier and fights may break out. The police try to break up the crowd so that each person can regain his own personal space and become calmer.
Only in recent years have governments and town planners begun to understand the effect that high density housing projects have in depriving individuals of their personal territory. The consequences of high density living and overcrowding were seen in a study of the deer population on James Island, an island about a mile (2km) off the coast of Maryland in Chesapeake Bay in the United States. Many of the deer were dying in large numbers, despite the fact that at the time there was plenty of food, predators were not evident and infection was not present. Similar studies in earlier years with rats and rabbits revealed the same trend and further investigation showed that the deer has died as a result of overactive adrenal glands, resulting from stress caused by the degradation of each deer's personal territory as the population increased. The adrenal glands play an important part in the regulation of growth, reproduction and the level of the body's defences. A physiological reaction to the stress of over population had caused the deaths, not starvation, infection or aggression from others. They is why areas that have the highest human population density also have the highest crime and violence rates.
Interrogators use territorial invasion techniques to break down resistance of criminals being questioned. They seat the criminal on an armless, fixed chair in an open area of the room and encroach into his intimate and close Intimate Zones when asking questions, remaining there until he answers. It often takes only a short while for this territorial harassment to break down the crimina's resistance....
"One of our deepest urges is the desire to own land, This compulsion comes from the fact that it gives us the space freedom we need."
I believed many factors added to the severity of the riot. With Singapore getting more crowded than before I think its the reason why we are witnessing more protests, more crime rates and more hostile people around. I hope God will provide divine wisdom to help our leaders solve the problem and not divert/curb/ isolate (whatever you call it) it.
