Speaking of flames, those fire bombs that many protesters use are pretty dangerous as well. Most riot police don't respond force on force in reality. They have training and equipment to reduce the danger, so there is a good reason not to just fire on individuals in a riot. I do know of instances where troops using the "plastic bullet" type ammo would score a hit on a raised firebomb before it was thrown. That makes for a mess, and is a bit more politically acceptable.
Still, riot control is just that, CONTROL. You control the level of violence that occurs. It's probably impossible to stop that sort of behavior during a riot. You just try to minimize it to where it's controlled. If someone throws a bottle, even a firebomb at a group of riot police, who have protective clothing, fire extinguishers, and training and the police respond by firing into the crowd (even if it's only at the thrower) the escallation could result in loss of control of the crowd. While it can end a riot pretty quick, it may not be the most effective way to handle the situation. It's sort of like arresting foks at a rock concert for pot. Cops might do it for a reason to run a particular guy in, but they aren't just going to go through the long line into the colosieum and start busting people.
I still like the plastic bullet through the firebomb though.
Ross