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Councilmember Sawant introduces legislation that would limit chemical weapons, crowd control weapons

SEATTLE — Councilmember Kshama Sawant is introducing new legislation that would prevent Seattle police from using chemical weapons and other forms of crowd control in light of recent ongoing protests.

The bills would ban the use of tear gas, mace, pepper spray, rubber bullets, bean bags, blast balls, water cannons and sonic weapons. Both pieces of legislation would hold Seattle liable for fines and damages for anyone subjected to these methods.

The use of such weapons during protests over the death of George Floyd has been roundly criticized over the last week.

“Seattle police are attacking peaceful protesters daily, from young children to the elderly with chemical weapons that are internationally banned in warfare. They have used chokeholds on protesters, including the same kind of chokehold that killed George Floyd," Sawant said.

Protesters have questionedSPD’s response to the demonstrations, calling for police to stop using tear gas and pepper spray.

Mayor Jenny Durkan said Friday that police will temporarily stop using tear gas on protesters as a form of crowd control. There was some tear gas deployed at the Capitol Hill protests over the weekend, according to accounts from protesters and Sawant herself.