What to Do If You’re Exposed to Tear Gas
From protecting yourself to protecting others: everything you need to know
By Sandra Gutierrez G.
Anyone who has ever followed the news knows peaceful protests and demonstrations can quickly turn into dangerous affairs. When this happens, the result is nearly always the same: protesters get stuck in a thick, choking cloud of tear gas.
This may sound like something you won’t necessarily have to face, but it’s been happening for years and it’s happening right now around the world — people are being violently repressed and gassed during protests in places such as Hong Kong, Ecuador, Chile, Barcelona, and Lebanon.
Protesting is protected in most parts of the world by Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which endows people with freedom of speech and expression. This universal right is included in most countries’ constitutions, too — such is the case in the U.S. with the First Amendment.
And even though protesting is your right and you may have every intention of keeping things peaceful, it’s also important to know what to do if those canisters start hissing. Protecting yourself and others should always be your top priority, and being prepared is by far the best way to start.
