Federal judge restricts use of tear gas against protesters outside ICE building in Portland

"Plaintiffs provided numerous videos, which were received in evidence and unambiguously show DHS officers spraying OC Spray directly into the faces of peaceful and nonviolent protesters engaged in, at most, passive resistance and discharging tear gas and firing pepper-ball munitions into crowds of peaceful and nonviolent protesters."

"Federal District Judge Michael Simon issued a preliminary injunction on Monday restricting the use of tear gas and other crowd control devices by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents during protests outside the ICE building in Portland, Oregon, in the northwestern United States."

Federal District Judge Michael Simon issued a preliminary injunction limiting crowd control tactics by Department of Homeland Security agents during protests outside the ICE building in Portland, Oregon. The ruling followed a three-day hearing where protesters and independent journalists testified about being sprayed with tear gas, pepper spray, and other chemical munitions while participating in peaceful demonstrations. The ACLU of Oregon filed the lawsuit on behalf of the plaintiffs, including protesters and freelance journalists. Judge Simon's decision noted that video evidence clearly demonstrated these tactics were used against nonviolent protesters engaged in passive resistance. The court found that using chemical munitions against largely peaceful protests may violate First Amendment rights.

Read at english.elpais.com