233 years ago today, on 13 May 1787, a Sunday afternoon, Archdeacon Hastings witnessing a boisterous crowd in Dublin shouting & wrestling across Merrion Square, accused them of disgracing the Sabbath & ordered the police to disperse them with bayonets. Richard Griffith, MP for 
Askeaton Co Kilkenny, who was present, told Hastings that the police weren’t legally allowed to use force to disperse the crowd without having firstly read them the Riot Act.
Alderman Exshaw, commanding officer of the police, reported Griffith’s speech encouraged the mob into a
Alderman Exshaw, commanding officer of the police, reported Griffith’s speech encouraged the mob into a
violent frenzy, attacking the police and it took several hours to eventually quell the disturbance. Griffith, in return for his trouble in pointing out the letter of the law, was charged with and found guilty of instigating the riot. He was fortunate to avoid the death penalty.
