Project- Influences of Roman military on modern day riot control

[MonsGraupius]

I cannot think of a single incident of serious casualties arising from two groups of people pushing each other.  One side or the other will break or give ground before the pressure gets intense enough to cause serious harm.  Every incident I know of where there have been deaths or serious injuries there has been a wall, a fence or another immovable object involved.  A couple of examples of deeper formations and what it really looks like in the videos below.  As you can see one side always moves back before the pressure gets too intense.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzwATFfA1Lo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8JeL-T6RWk

Densus, thanks for the links I've now got ~70 videos so I can't say for certain, but I've got at least one of the miner's strike, but the Chicago one I think is new. It's also got a tremendous piece of action with the crowd pushing forward in a V.

On the crush injuries, you clearly must be right because it's amazing how few injuries there are.

I think that is because inherently the two sides are "play acting" to some extent. The crowds are during what the crowds think they should do in a protest and the police are doing the same - and it's all a bit like a big dance (at least some of the wilder Ceilidhs in Scotland)
I suppose when you're protesting, your aim is primarily to "be noticed" - so most people are just content to stand and be counted - or push half heartedly.

The miner's strike may have been different - in that if I recall correctly, they were being blocked from entering pits - and/or wanted to block others and lorries from getting in/out.

Can you give me names or some other way to locate those examples of incidents involving deaths.

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The officer stood in front, next to the standard/cornicen, the troops watched these and acted accordingly.
Centurios stood in the front line, or maybe behind a line of antesignani, and had NCOs controlling the rear in case of defectors or a change of front.

And your evidence for this is what?

You've never played rugby have you? If you had, you'd know that a captain at the bottom of the scrumage is no longer capable of being a captain. If you are in the scrumage - there are only three things you can do: push forward, get pushed back or collapse. And it's almost impossible to talk to the guy next to you let alone organise the "rest of the troops".

And the last thing I'd want if I were a Roman solider, is some nancy centurion getting caught up in the scrimage of the front line, allowing the enemy to work their way around the flank and come at me from behind because THEY WERE NOT DOING THEIR JOB AND WATCHING MY BACK.