HomeMy WebLinkAboutPolice in SLO use tear gas on protestersPolice in SLO use tear gas on protesters; could it have been avoided?
BY THE TRIBUNE EDITORIAL BOARD
It’s regrettable that Monday’s protest march in downtown San Luis Obispo ended with police dispersing the last remnants of the crowd
with pepper bullets and tear gas.
Tear gas — referred to by the CDC as a “riot control agent” — should be a last resort, especially when there is no “riot” to quell, as was
the case Monday.
According to several accounts, the march had been peaceful up until the point police and protesters faced off near the station and
officers began using pepper and foam bullets, followed by tear gas.
Police said protesters threw water bottles, rocks and other projectiles. When, exactly, did that occur? If police have body cam evidence,
will they share it?
As for vandalism, the broken windows and break-ins at some downtown businesses came hours after the protest was over, and the San
Luis Obispo Police Department says there’s no indication it had anything to do with the protest.
Police maintain they took a stand to prevent protesters from marching onto Highway 101 before it got dark — something that had already
happened earlier in the day.
But had they really exhausted all other options?
Was the riot gear absolutely necessary, or did it serve to inflame the situation?
Could waiting another hour or so have made a difference, given that the crowd had already been dwindling?
And was the response informed by what was happening on the ground in San Luis Obispo, or influenced by the vandalism, looting and
violence occurring in large cities that are nothing like SLO?
Contrast what happened in San Luis Monday to the Tuesday protest in Paso Robles.
There, marchers blocked streets and called out police, but it ended on a high note when police officers knelt with protesters in
prayer. Chief Ty Lewis also talked face to face with the group about how to conclude the march in a way that would keep the protesters
and community safe.
Could the protest in San Luis Obispo have ended differently if police had taken a more low-key approach with marchers? Perhaps there
was an opportunity for the Chief Deanna Cantrell herself to venture into the crowd and mediate a conclusion?
This isn’t to say that police were the only ones responsible for what happened in SLO. Protesters weren’t blameless.
Why insist on venturing onto the freeway? It’s inherently dangerous to pedestrians and motorists, especially at night.
Also, lobbing rocks, firecrackers and water bottles at police was a bad move, no matter the circumstances.
No injuries were reported, but why give detractors ammunition to discredit a righteous cause?
Here’s what should be the take-away:
Over the past few days, millions of people have peacefully taken to the streets in large demonstrations against police brutality, including
here in predominately white San Luis Obispo County, which is not exactly viewed as a haven for people of color.
Rallies and marches have taken place in virtually every one of the 50 states. Some have turned violent, and those are the ones that get
the attention, but there are plenty of headlines like these as well:
Orange County Register: “Another day of protests in Southern California marked by calm.”
ABC News: “Protests in New Jersey’s largest city remain peaceful, calm.”
The Wall Street Journal: “Unrest eases as protests continue despite curfews.”
The killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis has been the catalyst, but this has been building for decades. People are fed up with injustice
in all its forms — injustice that’s been even more pronounced due to the coronavirus pandemic.
People of color are disproportionately falling ill and dying of COVID-19.
Many low-wage workers who had a tough time surviving before the pandemic find themselves out of work and unable to pay the rent and
keep food on the table.
Owners of small businesses try desperately to hang on.
Meanwhile, politicians in Washington, D.C., can’t agree on a plan to provide meaningful assistance.
So yes, people are protesting, as is their right, and police response must be appropriate.
Again, tear gas, pepper balls, foam bullets should be the last resort.
While these riot control “tools” are considered relatively harmless, they can cause injuries. On top of that, health experts worry tear gas
could lead to the spread of COVID-19 since exposure causes coughing that releases respiratory droplets.
While tear gas may be the only alternative in some extreme situations, it’s hard to justify the widespread, indiscriminate way it’s been
used at Black Lives Matter protests.
It’s time for police departments across the nation — including here in San Luis Obispo County — to take a step back and reassess
whether tear gas and nonlethal bullets like pepper balls ever need to be deployed at peaceful gatherings.
Instead, let’s take every opportunity we to have a conversation and resolve differences in collaborative, peaceful ways that don’t turn our
cities into battle zones.