—Cameron Peters (@jcameronpeters) June 1, 2020
On Thursday, the American Civil Liberties Union and other civil rights groups filed a lawsuit on behalf of Black Lives Matters DC against the Trump administration over the use of tear gas against peaceful protesters outside the White House on Monday.
Civil and human rights groups have long objected to the government's use of tear gas against protesters, in part because of the indiscriminate nature of the weapon. Rather than targeting specific people, the gas hurts everyone it touches, including media, children, and bystanders.
The health impacts from contact with tear gas can be permanent and severe. The CDC warns that tear gas "may lead to long-term effects such as eye problems including scarring, glaucoma, and cataracts, and may possibly cause breathing problems such as asthma." The projectiles used to transport the irritant can maim and kill people hit by them.
