I have been in a number of "serious" riots. Guns, firebombs, that sort of thing. Of course the best plan is to avoid. However this is not always possible.

I found that a radio helped a lot. I needed information from "outside" about what/where things were happening. At first I thought the radio would draw attention, but nobody seemed to notice.

It was a ham radio (which I almost always carry)that I had tuned to a local news station and a local repeater. I held it upside down with the antenna along my wrist. Risky? Perhaps. But without the information, I would never had a clue about which way to move.

These events were truly terrifying. They seemed to erupt without warning and were very violent. I feared for my life and hope never to be anywhere near something like that again. Now, when things even appear, just a bit, to be getting rowdy, I hit the road. I always avoid crowds and keep a wandering eye for escape routes and "tension". Wimp?? You betcha...

I travel a lot. When I get to a new area, I put several useful frequencies in the radio as soon as possible. Most are available on the internet. Mostly it is a waste of time. Once in awhile it really pays off.

If you are into radios, I suggest you download the NIFOG manual.
www.ncdhhs.gov/dhsr/EMS/pdf/NIFOG.pdf

It provides the frequencies used by the integrated communications system now in use. Much is encrypted, but a lot is not.

Look for a local news station. Much is just created by someone far away and it will do you no good. Community radio stations are useful.

Nomad