. ▁S . ▁As ht on , ▁in ▁his ▁study ▁of ▁food ▁ri ots ▁among ▁col liers , ▁noted ▁that ▁" the ▁tur bul ence ▁of ▁the ▁col liers ▁is , ▁of ▁course , ▁to ▁be ▁account ed ▁for ▁by ▁something ▁more ▁elementary ▁than ▁politics : ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁instinct ive ▁reaction ▁of ▁vir ility ▁to ▁hung er ." ▁Charles ▁Wilson ▁noted , ▁" Sp as mod ic ▁r ises ▁in ▁food ▁prices ▁prov oked ▁ke el men ▁on ▁the ▁Ty ne ▁to ▁ri ot ▁in ▁ 1 7 0 9 , ▁tin ▁min ers ▁to ▁pl under ▁gran aries ▁at ▁Fal mouth ▁in ▁ 1 7 2 7 ." ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 7 ▁Egypt ian ▁B read ▁Ri ots , ▁hundreds ▁of ▁thousands ▁of ▁people ▁ri oted ▁after ▁food ▁subs id ies ▁stopped ▁and ▁prices ▁rose . ▁ ▁A ▁police ▁ri ot ▁is ▁a ▁term ▁for ▁the ▁dis pro port ion ate ▁and ▁un law ful ▁use ▁of ▁force ▁by ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁police ▁against ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁civ ili ans . ▁This ▁term ▁is ▁commonly ▁used ▁to ▁describe ▁a ▁police ▁attack ▁on ▁civ ili ans , ▁or ▁prov oking ▁civ ili ans ▁into ▁violence . ▁ ▁A ▁prison ▁ri ot ▁is ▁a ▁large - scale , ▁temporary ▁act ▁of ▁concert ed ▁def iance ▁or ▁dis order ▁by ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁prisoners ▁against ▁prison ▁administr ators , ▁prison ▁officers , ▁or ▁other ▁groups ▁of ▁prisoners . ▁It ▁is ▁often ▁done ▁to ▁express ▁a ▁gr iev ance , ▁force ▁change