Seattle protests: Police ordered to stop using tear gas to disperse demonstrators

Police use tear gas to disperse a crowd during a demonstration protesting the death of George Floyd
AFP via Getty Images
Ellena Cruse13 June 2020

Seattle police have been temporarily ordered to stop using tear gas, pepper spray and stun grenades during protests.

Black Lives Matter sued the Seattle Police Department this week in a bid to halt violent tactics used during recent demonstrations against police brutality and racial injustice.

US District Judge Richard Jones said weapons such as tear gas and pepper spray fail to target “any single agitator or criminal” and are especially problematic during the coronavirus pandemic.

The court ruling was seen as a victory for groups who say authorities have overreacted to recent marches, sparked by the death of George Floyd in police custody.

Mayor Jenny Durkan and Police Chief Carmen Best have apologised to peaceful protesters who were subjected to chemical weapons.

A woman exposed to tear gas has milk poured on her after protests in Seattle
AFP via Getty Images

But Ms Best has said some demonstrators violently targeted police, throwing objects and ignoring orders to disperse.

A man kicks a tear gas canister during a demonstration protesting the death of George Floyd
AFP via Getty Images

The judge said those objecting to the police tactics make a strong case that the indiscriminate use of force is unconstitutional.

The judge wrote: “Because they are indiscriminate, they may even spill into bystanders’ homes or offices as they have done before."

Ms Durkan, a former lawyer, “believes the court struck the right balance to protect the fundamental constitutional right to exercise protest, with the need to also ensure public safety,” spokeswoman Kamaria Hightower said.

This week, demonstrators have turned part of Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighbourhood into a protest centre with speakers, drum circles and Black Lives Matter painted on a street near a police station.

Police largely left the station after the chaos last weekend, when officers tear-gassing protesters and some demonstrators throwing objects at them.

Protesters disperse as tear gas, pepper spray and flash-bang devices are deployed by Seattle police
REUTERS

Ms Durkan tweeted about her visit the so-called autonomous zone – which has been criticised by US president Donald Trump and where people, including officers, come and go freely.

Mr Trump took aim at her and Governor Jay Inslee for not breaking up the occupation by “anarchists” and threatened to take action if they do not.

Meanwhile, Michele Storms, executive director of the ACLU of Washington, said the group was pleased with the judge’s ruling.

“The city must allow for freedom of speech and freedom of assembly, and it must address police accountability and excessive use of force,” she said in a statement.

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