What is it like to be tear gassed?

As 150 dunams of land was burning, tear gas was flying above my head. We were standing behind the demonstrating Palestinians, thinking we had some cover from the danger of getting the tear gas canisters shot directly at us. However some were shot behind the retreating crowd into the garden where we were standing hiding behind a fence. Then our retreat path to our left was suddenly filled with tear gas, blocking our escape. We were stuck between a rock and a hard place. In front of us were soldiers shooting, to the right tear gas, to the left tear gas, behind us tear gas.

We had received information of settler activity in Urif midday. On our way the first thing we saw was the smoke, rising from several spots. As we drove there, we passed an ambulance and soldiers, and got a clear view of a wounded man. The settlers had set fire to the land, and the settlement security shot a 22 year old Palestinian guy trying to stop the fire. He was shot next to the kidneys and had been left on the burning land, as his companions were forced to retreat. They were not allowed to stop the fire and retreated as shots were fired and teargas filled the air. The shot man was left to the mercy of the settlers, and the security handcuffed him and then allowed the settlers to beat him further to the head. According to the Ma’an News today, he may never be able to walk again as the bullet went into his spine.

When we arrived it was rather calm, and we could see the settlers and the soldiers on the opposite hill. The Mayor of Urif explained the situation, and we met other internationals from ISM, who were at the scene. The fire engines’ were refused to enter the site, and there were several ambulances in the village. We received information about settlers putting fire to a wheat field on the other side of the hill and went to assess the situation. When we came back to Urif, there were soldiers at the outskirts of the village. This is when we got caught in the line of fire.

Tear gas is designed to temporarily disable people, by making them unable to function properly. The New York City Department of Health explain that tear gas is a common term for riot control agents, and  that tear gas normally is causing irritation to the eyes, mouth, throat, lungs, and skin. Tear gas causes burning and irritation to the area of contact within seconds of exposure. So after we saw the tear gas coming towards us, there was little time before it is inhaled in our lungs.

I grabbed Steve’s shoulder as to not lose the location, if inevitably the sight of, my team member. As we retreated into the garden, a kid stood with a bucket of onions for us to grab. I grabbed two and after squashing them against the concrete wall, I past one over to Steve. He was kneeling over, spitting and I felt nauseous, unable to breath. Tears were pouring out of my eyes, and they were stinging. Every breath was like acid in my lungs, and I dug for the water bottle in my bag. We eventually stumbled out and ran towards our rendezvous at the Mayor’s house. A sound bomb went off next to us, and we tried to enter the house as quickly as possible. From the roof top the air was easier to breath, and as we squinted our eyes we could see the soldiers leaving the village.

Settlers instead approached the outskirts of the village, and there were some brave men, including a Swede running to put them out. Myself, I was too preoccupied to focus on holding on to the edge of the roof as my breathing deteriorated. Onion, ginger, water, sage, tea –nothing was proving effective. Eventually the ambulance came, and I had three lovely men from the Red Crescent ambulance giving me oxygen, checking my pulse and asking for my medical history.  It was all very embarrassing. With months of pneumonia at the end of last year, and acute asthma the tear gas was severely damaging to my lungs. It took a couple of hours of wheezing and coughing before my team members felt relaxed enough to accept that I was indeed fine.

So if you were wondering what it is like to be tear gassed – now you know.

Regarding the legality of the use of tear gas, the United Nations has on several occasions condemned the use of excessive use of force, including the use of tear gas. The UNOHCHR have also expressed concerns about cases where civilians have died from complications from gas inhalation. In April’s issue of the Monthly Humanitarian Monitor produced by UNOCHA, it is revealed that the monthly average of people hit with tear gas canisters is almost twice the rate of 2011, and four times the rate in 2009. In April, direct hits by tear gas canisters accounted for 28 percent (37 injuries) of the 131 Palestinians injured in demonstrations. There are also cases where people have died from the respiratory problems induced by the tear gas.

“The firing of high-velocity tear gas canisters at demonstrators by Israeli forces has been a long standing cause for concern.  Because they use high-velocity rounds, are made of aluminum, and are imprecise in nature, these canisters can cause serious harm or even kill when fired directly into a crowd or at specific persons. Therefore, the Israeli military officially prohibits their use in this manner.” Last week my colleague Steve Hynd wrote about Waseam, a 17 year old boy who was hit in the head by a tear gas canister in Kafr Quaddum, one of the demonstrations we monitor on the West Bank. He was severely injured, temporarily losing his speech and it is still not completely restored.

The UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression after his mission to the Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) in December 2011 noted that “any use of force against demonstrators or rioters must be minimal and proportionate to the threat posed. For example, while the use of tear gas to disperse a crowd may be legitimate under certain circumstances, tear gas canisters should never be fired directly at demonstrators. While it appears that IDF open-fire regulations prohibit such use, it has been alleged that in practice, members of the IDF do not respect this injunction.”

To encapsulate tear gas is not a pleasant experience. Whilst it for me was only slightly distressing, it can have a long term effect. Therefore the zealous practices by which tear gas is shot and its frequent use, makes it a high cause of concern. You do not want to know what it is like to be tear gassed!