Rioting or participating in a riot generally means the assembly of multiple persons resulting in conduct that (1) creates an immediate danger of damage to property or injury to persons; (2) substantially obstructs law enforcement or other governmental functions or services; (3) is tumultuous or violent and likely to cause public alarm; or (4) deprives any person of a legal right or disturbs any person in the enjoyment of a legal right by using force or the threat of force.

Rioting laws vary from state to state and some states have related offenses such as inciting a riot, unlawful assembly, failing to disperse, and disturbing the peace. These laws are generally located in a state’s statutes—often in the penal or criminal code.

In Connecticut, rioting and related offenses are addressed under the state's penal code. Specifically, Connecticut General Statutes § 53a-175 defines a riot as an incident where five or more persons act together with the intent to commit a crime by violence, and they conduct themselves in a violent and tumultuous way that recklessly creates a grave risk of causing public alarm. The statute also covers the crime of inciting to riot (§ 53a-178), which occurs when a person urges five or more others to engage in conduct constituting a riot. Additionally, Connecticut law addresses unlawful assembly under § 53a-176, where three or more persons assemble with the intent to engage in conduct constituting a riot, and failing to disperse (§ 53a-177) when a person, being present at an assembly that they know has been ordered to disperse, intentionally refuses to do so. These offenses range in severity and can be classified as misdemeanors or felonies, depending on the circumstances and the degree of involvement in the riotous activity. An attorney can provide specific guidance on the penalties associated with these offenses and any defenses that may be available to individuals charged under these statutes.