Under the Public Order Act 1986, which offence requires 12 or more people and uses unlawful violence, causing fear?

• A. Riot
• B. Affray
• C. Violent disorder
• D. Disorderly conduct

Answer: (A)

Riot is defined by a large group acting together with unlawful violence or threats of violence for a common purpose, and the behaviour must cause fear. The key factor here is the number involved—twelve or more—and the collective objective that links their actions. This sets it apart from the other public order offences: violent disorder requires three or more people, but not twelve; affray involves fighting in public between two or more people and doesn’t require a large group with a shared purpose; disorderly conduct covers other disruptive behaviour that causes harassment, alarm, or distress without necessarily involving unlawful violence by a sizeable group. So the description fits riot because of the twelve-or-more threshold combined with unlawful violence for a common purpose that causes fear.