Civil liberties network publishes report on crowd control weapons

INCLO – a network of independent national human rights organisations, including the Irish Council of Civil Liberties (ICCL) – said the “unique” report focusses on the dangers of using CCWs to control or manage assemblies.

The report notes the use of “coloured dyes, often semi-permanent and requiring several days and numerous cleanings with strong detergents to remove” in water cannons in Northern Ireland.

It also reflects on the campaign against the introduction of water cannons in England and Wales.

The report reads: “Following riots in London and other parts of the United Kingdom in August 2011, British policing bodies began consulting on the introduction of water cannons to England and Wales.

“Water cannon advocates claimed that the police in England and Wales were missing a vital tool in their capabilities. They also relied on the deployment of water cannons in Northern Ireland to justify their extension to England and Wales.”

The full report - Lethal in Disguise: The Health Consequences of Crowd-Control Weapons - is available from the ICCL website.