B'Tselem report: Crowd Control: Israel's Use of Crowd Control ...

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military truck equipped with water containers and a water cannon. 85 A camerainstalled on the water cannon is operated by a control panel inside the truck.The cannon’s maximum range is 30-40 meters. 86 Special safety instructionsfor all types of water-spraying trucks are detailed in Operations Procedure90.2221.060 which B’Tselem does not have its disposal, but a précis appearsin the general police procedure for handling “disturbances of the peace”. 87 Thegeneral procedure states that the sprayed water jets are so powerful that theycan cause severe physical damage. Therefore, the cannons must be used withcare. The procedure also stipulates that operators must ensure that innocentbystanders are not hit. 88To the best of B’Tselem’s knowledge, exposure to the odor of the Skunk in thequantities ordinarily used at demonstrations poses no health hazards, with theexception of nausea and, in extreme cases, vomiting. That said, a person stainedwith the substance must shower and launder their clothing, usually repeatedly,in order to get rid of the stench. Many cases have been documented in whichsecurity forces sprayed large quantities of the liquid into homes and yards. Insuch cases, the smell persisted for a long time, and residents were forced towash off the substance with large quantities of water and cleaning products.B’Tselem has documented at least three instances in which a water cannoncaused damage to property, including breaking a window and fluorescent lightbulbsat a gas station.B’Tselem’s observations show that security forces often spray the Skunk at protestmarches and demonstrations as a preliminary method of dispersal, even whenthe demonstrations are quiet and no stones have been thrown. B’Tselem doesnot know of any cases in which security forces used the Skunk at a demonstrationwith only Jewish or Israeli participants. Many Palestinian demonstrators haveexpressed indignation at the humiliation caused by exposure to the Skunk.The actions of the security forces raise serious suspicions that the Skunk is used asa collective punitive measure against residents of villages where regular weeklydemonstrations are held near the village’s built-up areas, such as a-Nabi Salehand Kafr Qadum. This was certainly the case on many occasions documented85 For the product at the manufacturer’s website, see: http://www.bat.co.il/products1.htm86 Orr Commission Report, § 254.87 Israel Police, Police Procedure for Handling Disturbances of the Peace at Demonstrations, no. 90.222.012[in Hebrew].88 Ibid., § 1.5.d.36
Crowd Control Crowd Control Weapons in the West Bankby B’Tselem at a-Nabi Saleh, in which security forces drove the Skunk truckdown the village’s main street and sprayed the foul-smelling liquid at homesfar removed – sometimes even clear across the village – from the main locationof the demonstrations and clashes between the military and Palestinian stonethrowers.At times, security forces have used the trucks to spray plain water, or watercontaining a very small amount of the Skunk liquid. At other times, tear gas,dye, or both have been added to the water. In 2006, in the village of Bil’in, thespraying of blue-colored water was documented, and demonstrators reportedthat contact with the liquid caused a stinging sensation. Spraying water mixedwith tear gas requires authorization by a district commander. 89Protesters flee the Skunk jet, a-Nabi Saleh. January 2012. Photo by Oren Ziv/Activestills89 Ibid., § 5.1.d.2.37
Page 1 and 2: CROWD CONTROLIsrael’s Use of Crow
Page 3 and 4: Researched and written by Sarit Mic
Page 5 and 6: IntroductionCrowd control weapons a
Page 7 and 8: Tear GasTear gas is a chemical irri
Page 9 and 10: Crowd Control Crowd Control Weapons
Page 21 and 22: Rubber-CoatedMetal Bullets 41Rubber
Page 25: Crowd Control Crowd Control Weapons
Page 28 and 29: grenades on the ground, not throw t
Page 30 and 31: seven years, at least 46 Palestinia
Page 32 and 33: that the regulations relating to th
Page 34 and 35: Sniper armed with a Ruger rifle. He
Page 39 and 40: Pepper SprayPepper spray is a conce
Page 43 and 44: Sponge RoundsSponge rounds are a ki
Page 47 and 48: Weapons in LimitedUseSecurity force
Page 49 and 50: ConclusionIn responding to demonstr
Page 51 and 52: IDF ResponseCrowd Control Crowd Con
Page 53 and 54: issued separately by Israeli police
Page 57: B’TSELEM - The Israeli Informatio

B'Tselem report: Crowd Control: Israel's Use of Crowd Control ...

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