The clash between police and protestors in Ferguson, Missouri has escalated significantly over the past few days. Police dogs and handguns have been swapped out for tanks and assault rifles. The protestors are being shot at with rubber bullets and wooden baton rounds, but perhaps the most disturbing images surfacing are those of police suppressing peaceful assembly with tear gas. Currently banned for use in international warfare, tear gas is still legal to use domestically, and has become a go-to for riot control. To understand what the use of tear gas means for the citizens, members of the press, and government officials currently in Ferguson, here is a scientific explainer of what tear gas is, what it does, and what scientists and medical professionals think of its use.
That’s me in the cloud of tear gas tweeting in #Ferguson. pic.twitter.com/9fMCdRGQYX
— Antonio French (@AntonioFrench) August 12, 2014
Men armed with nothing but phones ordered to get on their knees. I witnessed tear gas thrown at them in #ferguson pic.twitter.com/DNOK0yRt93 — Liz Peinado (@LizPeinadoSTL) August 12, 2014
