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Local Philadelphia Issue

Should the Philadelphia #CityCouncil have banned #Police use of #TearGas and rubber bullets on #protesters?

Score for this "Yes" opinion :
Score is TBD

"We need to discourage the use of force by #police" Sep 12, 2024

It is unethical for police to use force against peaceful protesters in public demonstrations. A citizen has the right to join fellow citizens in a peaceful assembly or protest as stated in the #FirstAmendment to the United States Constitution. The right to peaceful assembly and protest can not be denied by the police and other security agencies. The use of force by the Philadelphia Police against protesters is wrong and unfortunate. The police fired tear gas, rubber bullets, and pepper spray against protesters to disperse their gathering, causing injury and harm to citizens. The police should not deny citizens their right to protests and peaceful assembly.

Governments in all cities have the responsibility to discourage their police from using unnecessary force against protesters during demonstrations. Police should seek to protect peaceful protesters and honor their right to assemble. It is their duty to protect citizens, not to assault and harass them. Tear gas canisters, rubber bullets, and pepper spray are all part of a wide group of compounds known as Riot Control Agents (RCA), some of which pose great risk to human health. 

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stated that exposure to tear gas can cause chest tightness, shortness of breath, rashes and burns on the skin, nausea, vomiting, runny nose, difficulty in swallowing, drooling, and a choking sensation. Tear gas hits hard on people with respiratory conditions like asthma and it can worsen their condition. The use of these RCAs should be discouraged to prevent loss of lives during demonstrations.

Instead of using force against protesters, police officers should strive to foster calm among the populace in order to ensure protests do not become violent. The police should always avoid the use of excessive force against protesters; people have the right to express their feelings about happenings in society through public demonstrations and gatherings as enshrined in the nation's constitution. As long as protests are peaceful and protesters are law-abiding, the police should support their actions, because protests are needed for promoting the democracy of our nation. The beauty of a democracy is the freedom of expressing one's view through various means as long as those means are peaceful and supported by the law.

In conclusion, the government should work towards the protection of people during peaceful demonstrations and ensure that they are protected against the use of excessive force by the police.

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