Ok, this is an odd one that I could use some help on from people with experience in law enforcement or the military.
As we know, migrants were tear-gassed at the border yesterday.
The scenes made it look like a war zone.
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As we know, migrants were tear-gassed at the border yesterday.
The scenes made it look like a war zone.
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We also know the Trump Administration, at the very minimum, helped create the circumstances leading to the clash by closing the port of entry altogether.
The Trump Admin helped create the massed crowd at the border... and then made a spectacle of the forceful response.
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The Trump Admin helped create the massed crowd at the border... and then made a spectacle of the forceful response.
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Images are circulating today of the ‘tear gas’ canisters Customs and Border Patrol agents hurled toward the massed migrants.
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The image above is of a tear gas product made by a company named Defense Technology.
It’s a pretty straightforward tear gas grenade. No surprises there.
You can find the product specs here on the DT site.
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defense-technology.com/on/demandware.…
It’s a pretty straightforward tear gas grenade. No surprises there.
You can find the product specs here on the DT site.
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defense-technology.com/on/demandware.…
Other images are circulating of OTHER canisters hurled by CBP agents yesterday.
Same manufacturer but a different product.
This one is called Saf-Smoke.
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Same manufacturer but a different product.
This one is called Saf-Smoke.
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Being the kind of nerd who looks these things up, I did just that.
Here’s where it gets a bit weird potentially.
Saf-White Smoke isn’t a tear gas.
It’s basically practice smoke. Training smoke. It’s primarily designed for military simulations.
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defense-technology.com/products/chemi…
Here’s where it gets a bit weird potentially.
Saf-White Smoke isn’t a tear gas.
It’s basically practice smoke. Training smoke. It’s primarily designed for military simulations.
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defense-technology.com/products/chemi…
Now, it’s entirely possible the CBP used a combination of real tear gas and plain ol’ training smoke for tactical reasons.
However, given the fact that this was very much an engineered event, it seems possible some of this was Hollywooded up for effect.
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However, given the fact that this was very much an engineered event, it seems possible some of this was Hollywooded up for effect.
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Knowing what you know now, take a look at this picture again.
Knowing some of that smoke was quite literally just a smoke screen, it changes things, doesn’t it?
Makes the repelling of a small group seem like a battlefield clash.
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Knowing some of that smoke was quite literally just a smoke screen, it changes things, doesn’t it?
Makes the repelling of a small group seem like a battlefield clash.
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Would be interested in hearing what military/LEO folks have to say about using training smoke for tactical crowd disbursement.
Maybe it’s common and there’s nothing to this...
...or maybe this was a bit of a show engineered to create a false impression from the get-go.
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Maybe it’s common and there’s nothing to this...
...or maybe this was a bit of a show engineered to create a false impression from the get-go.
9/9
One more thing:
Today, the head of the Border Patrol Union said they fired pepper spray into the crowd.
This canister is a tear gas made from a chemical called chlorobenzalmalononitrile (CS).
Pepper spray is made from oleoresin of capsicum (OC).
This isn’t pepper spray.
Today, the head of the Border Patrol Union said they fired pepper spray into the crowd.
This canister is a tear gas made from a chemical called chlorobenzalmalononitrile (CS).
Pepper spray is made from oleoresin of capsicum (OC).
This isn’t pepper spray.
