Kettling

Police tactic of containing people at a protest Riot police kettling protesters at the Camp for Climate action, part of the 2009 G20 London summit protests Police kettling protesters at the Opernring in Vienna, part of the protest against coronavirus restrictions Kettling (also known as containment or corralling) is a police tactic for controlling large crowds during demonstrations or protests. It involves the formation of large cordons of police officers who then move to contain a crowd within a limited area. Protesters either leave through an exit controlled by the police, leave through an uncontrolled gap in the cordons, or are contained, prevented from leaving, and arrested. The tactic has proved controversial, in part because it has resulted in the detention of ordinary bystanders as well as protesters. In March 2012 kettling was ruled lawful by the European Court of Human Rights following a legal challenge. Tactics New Jersey State Police kettle dozens of protesters and journalists during the 2026 Delaney Hall protests The term kettle is a metaphor, likening the containment of protesters to the containment of heat and steam within a domestic kettle. Its modern English usage m