Police Subdue Violent G-20 Summit Protesters With Pepper Spray Canisters

After being told to disperse, a group of self-described anarchists protesting the Group of 20 (G-20) summit in Pittsburgh without a permit turned an unlawful march into a violent stand-off. Several hundred protesters were attempting to march with anti-capitalism banners and signs toward the summit (being held at a Pittsburgh convention center) from a nearby neighborhood.

They did not have a permit to protest and were warned by police that they would be arrested if they did not leave. As the police began to break up the group, the protesters threw rocks at police cars and rolled trash bins towards oncoming officers. Others blocked roads with debris and vandalized local businesses.

At this point police officers fired pepper spray at the rioting protesters. Immediately they began to feel the effects. Many protesters dispersed, slipping into nearby alleyways and joining groups of onlookers unrelated to the group of anarchists. Some followed communications on Twitter in an attempt to avoid the authorities and subsequent blasts of pepper spray. During this and other protests over the course of the three day summit, 83 people were arrested. Dozens were said to have been arrested at this protest alone.

In this incident pepper spray was used to subdue the rioting crowd and break up their unlawful assembly. Its use prevented further property damage and injury to both protesters and police officers. Although most of the protests of the G-20 Summit were peaceful, police were prepared to address violent protesters with non-lethal means. Having pepper spray in their arsenal enabled police officers to firmly enforce the law without resorting to deadly force.