Anna Feigenbaum is a writer, researcher, and educator. Her latest book is Tear Gas: From the Battlefields of WWI to the Streets of Today.
Developed for the trenches of World War I, tear gas is being deployed indiscriminately against protesters across the United States today. It’s an unconscionable use of force that violates international regulations — and it shows police officers are operating with complete impunity.
Banned in warfare yet routinely used to quell protest at home, tear gas epitomizes the contradictions of modern state violence.
At one time, tear gas was only deployed on the battlefield, not against civilian protesters. Then Amos Fries came along.