Skip to main content

Is the use of tear gas by law enforcement officers considered a war crime?

LA Immigration Protests,Police,War Crimes,Facts And Fact Checking

From the Center
Fact Check

Though many have condemned the use of tear gas on protestors, the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Geneva Convention both contain exceptions for "domestic law enforcement purposes." In the Geneva Convention, the ban on "employing asphyxiating, poisonous or other gases, and all analogous liquids, materials or devices" against another person or group "does not apply to situations of internal disturbances and tensions, such as riots."

AllSides highlights content from Gigafact, a network of newsrooms that respond to online claims. View the full fact brief on MinnPost.

AllSides Picks

More News about Violence in America

News from the Left

News from the Center

News from the Right