kettling

American  

[ket-ling, ket-l-ing] / ˈkɛt lɪŋ, ˈkɛt l ɪŋ /

1. a crowd control technique, in which a line of police officers encircles demonstrators and confines them in a contained area known as a kettle.

   Coverage of the protests has focused on the controversial use of kettling.

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Etymology

Origin of kettling

First recorded in 2005–10; kettle ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

kettling

It creates a tiered system of protest response that prioritizes deescalation, while banning the NYPD’s practice of kettling, a controversial tactic that involves trapping and arresting large groups of demonstrators.

From Washington Times ● Sep. 6, 2023

Oftentimes the police will use the bike racks to hem in protesters further, a process called kettling, which makes that cramped feeling even more extreme.

From Slate ● May 22, 2023

Police have also engaged in kettling, Baudouin said, in which officers surround large crowds and prevent them from leaving.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 26, 2023

Then-Mayor Bill de Blasio also defended kettling, with both leaders saying the tactic was necessary to fend off burglaries and chaos taking place in some Manhattan neighborhoods.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 2, 2023

Thousands of officers used a tactic known as "kettling" to corral crowds until they were trapped in what amounted to a human pen at the very same Oxford Circus location now occupied by Extinction Rebellion.

From BBC ● Apr. 18, 2019