Salt riot, also known as the Moscow Uprising of 1648, started because of the government's replacement of different
taxes with a universal salt tax for the purpose of replenishing the state treasury after the
Time of Troubles. This drove up the price of
salt, leading to violent riots in the streets of
Moscow.
Boston bread riot – the last of a series of three riots by the poor of
Boston,
Massachusetts, between 1710 and 1713, in response to food shortages and high bread prices. The riot ended with minimal[clarification needed] casualties.
Nottingham cheese riot - merchants from
Lincolnshire attempted to purchase large amounts of cheese in
Nottingham to sell in their home county, upsetting the locals. The dispute broke out into rioting, involving mass looting of cheese wheels. The rioting eventually ended after several days due to military intervention.
Flour War – occurring in 1775, this was an uprising caused by the excessive price of bread in France before the
French Revolution. Early in the season for wheat harvesting and flour production, the government enacted fewer
price controls than later in the year, leaving prices to the
free market. This caused the price of flour to climb, and the working classes could not buy bread.
Women's March on Versailles was one of the earliest and most significant events of the
French Revolution. The march began among women in the marketplaces of Paris who, on the morning of 5 October 1789, were near rioting over the high price and scarcity of bread. Their demonstrations quickly became intertwined with the activities of revolutionaries who were seeking liberal political reforms and a
constitutional monarchy for France.
Grain riots took place in
Ennis, Ireland on 6 June 1842, with
Irish Constabulary police shooting at the crowd, killing three and wounding twelve; a policeman also lost an eye.[2]
Southern bread riots – events of
civil unrest in the
Confederacy, perpetrated mostly by women in March and April 1863. During these riots, which occurred in cities throughout the South, women and men violently invaded and looted various shops and stores.
1898 in Italy is marked by widespread bread riots all over the country
1917 potato riots – a food shortage during the WW I caused a food rebellion in the Dutch capital city
Amsterdam in July 1917.
Rice riots of 1918 – a series of popular disturbances that erupted throughout
Japan from July to September 1918, which brought about the collapse of the
Terauchi Masatake administration. A precipitous rise in the price of
rice caused extreme economic hardship, and rural protests spread to the towns and cities.
1939 Nupi Lan Revolt of Manipur, India – Nupi Lan – which means women's war in Manipuri – is one of the important movements in the history of Manipuri women. It sowed the new seeds of economic and political reforms for a new Manipur in the early 1940s. It was started in 1939 as an agitation by Manipuri women against the oppressive economic and administrative policies ruled by the Manipur Maharaja and the political agent Mr. Gimson of the British Government (1933–1945) in Manipur, and later on, evolved into a movement for the constitutional and administrative reform in Manipur.[6]
Novocherkassk massacre was events tied to the labor strike of a locomotive building plant in
Novocherkassk, a city in the
Soviet Union, (now
Russia). The events eventually culminated in riots of 1–2 June 1962 when reportedly 26 protesters were killed by the Soviet Army troops, and 87 were wounded. The riots were a direct result of shortages of food and provisions, as well as the poor working conditions in the factory.
1970 Polish protests – sparked by a sudden increase of controlled prices of food.
1977 Egyptian bread riots – affected most major cities in
Egypt 18–19 January 1977. The riots were a spontaneous uprising by hundreds of thousands of lower-class people protesting
World Bank and
International Monetary Fund-mandated termination of state subsidies on basic foodstuffs. As many as 79 people were killed and over 550 injured in the protests,[7] which were only ended with the deployment of the army and the re-institution of the subsidies.
2016 and 2017 Venezuelan food riots – The steep fall in oil prices hit the Venezuelan economy hard. With inflation set to top 1,600% in 2017,[8] the decline of Venezuela’s industrial base led to food shortages and economic collapse.[9][10][11]
July 2021 unrest in South Africa that initially began as protests in response to the arrest of former president
Jacob Zuma quickly escalated into nationwide looting of supermarkets and shopping malls.[12] The expanded scope of the unrest, that had followed a record economic downturn and increasing unemployment from the
COVID-19 pandemic, has been described as food riots.[13][14][15]
Salt riot, also known as the Moscow Uprising of 1648, started because of the government's replacement of different
taxes with a universal salt tax for the purpose of replenishing the state treasury after the
Time of Troubles. This drove up the price of
salt, leading to violent riots in the streets of
Moscow.
Boston bread riot – the last of a series of three riots by the poor of
Boston,
Massachusetts, between 1710 and 1713, in response to food shortages and high bread prices. The riot ended with minimal[clarification needed] casualties.
Nottingham cheese riot - merchants from
Lincolnshire attempted to purchase large amounts of cheese in
Nottingham to sell in their home county, upsetting the locals. The dispute broke out into rioting, involving mass looting of cheese wheels. The rioting eventually ended after several days due to military intervention.
Flour War – occurring in 1775, this was an uprising caused by the excessive price of bread in France before the
French Revolution. Early in the season for wheat harvesting and flour production, the government enacted fewer
price controls than later in the year, leaving prices to the
free market. This caused the price of flour to climb, and the working classes could not buy bread.
Women's March on Versailles was one of the earliest and most significant events of the
French Revolution. The march began among women in the marketplaces of Paris who, on the morning of 5 October 1789, were near rioting over the high price and scarcity of bread. Their demonstrations quickly became intertwined with the activities of revolutionaries who were seeking liberal political reforms and a
constitutional monarchy for France.
Grain riots took place in
Ennis, Ireland on 6 June 1842, with
Irish Constabulary police shooting at the crowd, killing three and wounding twelve; a policeman also lost an eye.[2]
Southern bread riots – events of
civil unrest in the
Confederacy, perpetrated mostly by women in March and April 1863. During these riots, which occurred in cities throughout the South, women and men violently invaded and looted various shops and stores.
1898 in Italy is marked by widespread bread riots all over the country
1917 potato riots – a food shortage during the WW I caused a food rebellion in the Dutch capital city
Amsterdam in July 1917.
Rice riots of 1918 – a series of popular disturbances that erupted throughout
Japan from July to September 1918, which brought about the collapse of the
Terauchi Masatake administration. A precipitous rise in the price of
rice caused extreme economic hardship, and rural protests spread to the towns and cities.
1939 Nupi Lan Revolt of Manipur, India – Nupi Lan – which means women's war in Manipuri – is one of the important movements in the history of Manipuri women. It sowed the new seeds of economic and political reforms for a new Manipur in the early 1940s. It was started in 1939 as an agitation by Manipuri women against the oppressive economic and administrative policies ruled by the Manipur Maharaja and the political agent Mr. Gimson of the British Government (1933–1945) in Manipur, and later on, evolved into a movement for the constitutional and administrative reform in Manipur.[6]
Novocherkassk massacre was events tied to the labor strike of a locomotive building plant in
Novocherkassk, a city in the
Soviet Union, (now
Russia). The events eventually culminated in riots of 1–2 June 1962 when reportedly 26 protesters were killed by the Soviet Army troops, and 87 were wounded. The riots were a direct result of shortages of food and provisions, as well as the poor working conditions in the factory.
1970 Polish protests – sparked by a sudden increase of controlled prices of food.
1977 Egyptian bread riots – affected most major cities in
Egypt 18–19 January 1977. The riots were a spontaneous uprising by hundreds of thousands of lower-class people protesting
World Bank and
International Monetary Fund-mandated termination of state subsidies on basic foodstuffs. As many as 79 people were killed and over 550 injured in the protests,[7] which were only ended with the deployment of the army and the re-institution of the subsidies.
2016 and 2017 Venezuelan food riots – The steep fall in oil prices hit the Venezuelan economy hard. With inflation set to top 1,600% in 2017,[8] the decline of Venezuela’s industrial base led to food shortages and economic collapse.[9][10][11]
July 2021 unrest in South Africa that initially began as protests in response to the arrest of former president
Jacob Zuma quickly escalated into nationwide looting of supermarkets and shopping malls.[12] The expanded scope of the unrest, that had followed a record economic downturn and increasing unemployment from the
COVID-19 pandemic, has been described as food riots.[13][14][15]