On Sunday, #ICE used #chemicalweapons in #Portland OR, firing #teargas on a crowd of peaceful protesters.
This was legal only because the victims were civilians in peacetime. Chemical weapons are banned in war by both the 1925 Geneva Protocol and the1993 Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).
#CWC Article II.clause 9 lists "Purposes Not Prohibited Under this Convention" to include "Law enforcement including domestic riot control purposes".
Gassing soldiers is banned. Gassing civilians is OK.
Welcome to America (or any other police state). In addition to being dangerous to humans and animals, it causes damage. Damage to air conditioners, filters and ventilation ducts. It can enter homes and buildings through air conditioning systems. Waterways and tanks become contaminated. It is corrosive and can cause damage to surfaces. Residues can remain and, if not removed professionally, cause health problems for a long time. In fact, you should be able to hold the state liable.
@bitchboss Use of #Teargas or any other form of chemical weapons should be a crime of #StrictLiability, i.e. no defence of extenuating circumstances or obeying orders. Same for orders to use teargas or chemical weapons: the entire chain of command should be liable.
But getting there will be a hard journey.
According to the Geneva Convention (130 countries) and the Chemical Weapons Convention, the use of chemical weapons, including tear gas, against soldiers and civilians in a war situation is prohibited. However, there are some exceptions: riots and civil unrest.
The countries that have stipulated the use of teargass et. al. (and ratified this) are:
The United States, Russia and China
Israel too (but has not ratified the Geneva Convention)
It will be a difficult task to amend this.
Claire McNab
Marcella Francesca 
Rene Raggl 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 🇬🇱