A baton charge is a coordinated tactic for violent crowd dispersal, it is usually used by police or the military in the appropriate situation. In certain countries law enforcement agencies are not authorised to use the tactic, unless no other means can be practiced.
Police officers (and in some cases soldiers) are provided with batons, and often riotshields. They run at the crowd hitting the targets with their batons, and in some cases pushing them away with their shields. Baton charging is designed to cause the maximum amount of pain to the offenders, and in theory it is hoped that they would move away from the scene. As a general practice during baton charges, the police concentrate on a group of people which are blatantly offending, individuals are usually allowed to escape so that they can avoid serious injury during the charge.
India
In India, a baton would often be referred to as a lathi. Some Indian police forces use lathis around 5 ft long, but in other places lathis are shorter. The term "lathi charge" is used by the Indian media more commonly than "baton charge". The lathi drill is taught to all Indian police recruits. The tactic is controversial among human rights campaigners due to the violence involved.
See also
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