Philadelphia City Council Passes Bill Banning Use of Tear Gas, Rubber Bullets and Pepper Spray During Protests

Philadelphia City Council passed a bill Thursday banning police use of tear gas, rubber bullets, and pepper spray during protests or other First Amendment protected activities.

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The bill also follows days of intense protests, looting and attacks on police in Philadelphia following the death of Walter Wallace Jr.

“I have been in plenty of demonstrations over two decades of organizing that did not result in the kind of violence and chaos we witnessed in May and June of 2020,” said Councilmember At-Large Helen Gym, the bill’s prime sponsor.

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“This bill does not unilaterally remove less lethal devices such as tear gas, rubber bullets, pepper spray, or the like from the police department’s arsenal,” Gym said. “It clearly states that they may not be used against any individual engaged in First Amendment protected activities.”

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