Federal Law Enforcement to Refrain from Using Tear Gas at Portland ICE Protests, Judge Orders for Now
A federal judge has temporarily restricted the use of tear gas by law enforcement officers at protests outside a Portland immigration building. The ruling comes after agents fired tear gas into a crowd of peaceful demonstrators that included young children, leaving many injured and frightened.
The U.S. District Judge Michael Simon's order limits the use of chemical or projectile munitions to situations where someone poses an imminent threat of physical harm. It also restricts officers from firing at the head, neck, or torso unless there is a legitimate justification for using deadly force.
Protesters, journalists, and local officials have spoken out against the use of tear gas, citing its disproportionate impact on vulnerable individuals, including children, and the chilling effect it has on free speech and assembly. The judge's order will remain in place for 14 days.
The ruling stems from a lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Oregon, which argued that federal officers' use of chemical munitions and excessive force was retaliatory and infringed upon protesters' First Amendment rights. The plaintiffs include individuals who were targeted with pepper balls and tear gas while posing no threat, as well as journalists covering demonstrations.
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson has condemned the use of tear gas, calling for ICE to leave the city and urging those responsible for such actions to "resign." The protest in Portland is one of many nationwide against the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, which has led to violent clashes with protesters in cities like Minneapolis.
A federal judge has temporarily restricted the use of tear gas by law enforcement officers at protests outside a Portland immigration building. The ruling comes after agents fired tear gas into a crowd of peaceful demonstrators that included young children, leaving many injured and frightened.
The U.S. District Judge Michael Simon's order limits the use of chemical or projectile munitions to situations where someone poses an imminent threat of physical harm. It also restricts officers from firing at the head, neck, or torso unless there is a legitimate justification for using deadly force.
Protesters, journalists, and local officials have spoken out against the use of tear gas, citing its disproportionate impact on vulnerable individuals, including children, and the chilling effect it has on free speech and assembly. The judge's order will remain in place for 14 days.
The ruling stems from a lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Oregon, which argued that federal officers' use of chemical munitions and excessive force was retaliatory and infringed upon protesters' First Amendment rights. The plaintiffs include individuals who were targeted with pepper balls and tear gas while posing no threat, as well as journalists covering demonstrations.
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson has condemned the use of tear gas, calling for ICE to leave the city and urging those responsible for such actions to "resign." The protest in Portland is one of many nationwide against the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, which has led to violent clashes with protesters in cities like Minneapolis.
... I mean, people are peaceful and just want to express their opinions, but the gov'ts all over 'em 
. Tear gas is basically a chemical weapon, what's next? 
I remember watchin news footage of Vietnam War protests back in the day, and it was always like this - gov't tryna crack down on protesters, but really they're just makin peaceful voices heard 
. This ruling better stick 'cause we all need to be able to assemble without gettin gassed 
... its time for change!
... feel bad for all those people who got hurt by tear gas at the protests. Can't imagine being a kid in the middle of that chaos 
. I'm all for peaceful protest and free speech, but law enforcement gotta make sure everyone's safe too 
. Think this ruling is a good start, hope it leads to more reforms 
. Read more about it on ACLU's website - 
just saw this news, and i gotta say, its crazy how a judge stepped in and restricted tear gas use at protests 
those numbers are just staggering. anyhoo, here's a chart showing the number of protesters injured during the portland protests since august last year 
:
and its not just physical harm either... i read somewhere that some ppl were even arrested for taking videos or photos during protests? 
like whats wrong with us americans?! 
Tear Gas Ban in Portland: What's Really Going On? 
And, fun fact: did you know that Portland has the highest number of protests against ICE per capita in the US?! 
The stats are real, folks! 
gotta admit, it's a good thing that judge stepped in. tear gas is just too much, you know? especially when it's used on peaceful ppl. i'm not surprised that protesters and journalists are speaking out against it - we've seen how the other side reacts to dissenting voices. ICE should really consider leaving Portland alone, fam. the city's had enough of their antics. 14 days is a decent amount of time for the law enforcement agencies to figure out some better tactics 
. It's all about safety for everyone involved. We gotta make sure our rights as citizens aren't getting trampled. We should be able to protest without being gassed or worse, arrested. So glad there are people like the ACLU speaking up for us 
But at the same time, it's kind of reckless to be firing chemical munitions in the air like they're doing cannonballs. 
On the other hand, what about all those protesters who are just looking for a good time and getting caught up in the chaos? 
Do we really want to enable them to get hurt or disrupt the community even more? 
I'm all for free speech, but not when it means putting people's lives at risk... unless there's some way to balance those two things, which seems hard to find right now. 
. I mean, it's about time someone did something about those pesky tear gas attacks on protesters. It's crazy how some people get away with using that stuff and then wonder why nobody shows up to their events anymore 
!