Most of us have seen the pictures of the riots from Ferguson, Missouri this past weekend. One of the most startling aspects of the riots (besides seeing the amount of destruction) is the way the police look in contrast to the protesters. It’s hard reconciling the fact that the authoritarian government looking sort are not military personnel at a check point in Egypt, but are the local cops who might pull you over on I-270 for speeding. Here’s an inforgraphic from the New York Times talking about how riot gear has changed in the past 50 years.
