The Weaponization of 'Less Lethal' Force
House Democrats launching an inquiry into DHS's deployment of 'less lethal' weapons in response to a 'string of injuries' is news, but it's not new. This inquiry follows a well-worn path, one that invariably surfaces after widespread public outcry and visible harm, yet rarely leads to systemic dismantling of the underlying power structures. FIRST INSTANCE: Crowd Control as Counterinsurgency The
concept of 'less lethal' weapons, or 'non-lethal' as they were initially called, gained significant traction in military and law enforcement circles following the Vietnam War. Early forms, such as tear gas and rubber bullets, were extensively used by police against anti-war protestors in the late 1960s . Records from the Kerner Commission (1968) documented widespread police brutality and
indiscriminate use of such tactics against civil rights activists and urban unrest, causing significant injuries, including blindness and skull fractures. The stated purpose was 'crowd control' and 'riot suppression,' yet their deployment often incited further violence and caused disproportionate harm to minority communities. REPETITIONS: Expanding the Arsenal, Repeating the Outcomes 1999 Seattle
WTO Protests: The 'Battle of Seattle' saw a massive deployment of 'less lethal' weapons by local police and federal agencies against environmental and anti-globalization activists. Tear gas, pepper spray, stun grenades, and rubber bullets were used indiscriminately, resulting in hundreds of injuries, including broken bones and chemical burns. A report by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU,