Tears and Tear Gas in East Lansing

If the student movement were alive, we could applaud the East Lansing police for preparing the next generation for street fighting. At MSU, win or lose, there's a contest in the streets.

It would be helpful if reporters could distinguish between pepper spray, an aerosol of capsiacin, essence of red pepper, from CS. CS is a powder which sublimes over time. Clothing and other surfaces contaminated with CS will generate toxic vapor for some time. It was dumped in tunnels in Viet Nam because of its persistance.

Both CS and capsiacin were bioassayed and found not to be carcinogenic, although the delivered dose may have been limited by the acute irritancy.


http://www.detnews.com/2005/msu/0504/03/A09-137856.htm

Sunday, April 3, 2005
Police use gas to break up rowdy Spartan crowds
East Lansing Police arrest several after small fires are started, but no injuries are reported.

By George Hunter / The Detroit News

EAST LANSING -- Revelers throwing bottles prompted police to use chemical gases to disperse crowds following Michigan State University's Final Four loss Saturday night, East Lansing Police reported.

About 12 people were arrested on charges including disorderly conduct, police said, but there were no reports of injuries.

About 3,000 people had gathered outside an apartment complex in East Lansing after the game, and police used CS gas to disperse them. Another 1,000 to 2,000 had gathered downtown, and police also used gas there. The crowds also started several small fires, police said.

"Cops are going crazy. I saw a guy walking and I saw a cop knock him down for no reason," said Brandon Nicholas, a Lansing Community College student. "They're shooting tear gas all over the place, and it burns. This is nuts."

Although many students said they weren't warned, police said they advised crowds before using the gas, which is like a pepper spray and can easily rinse off clothes, said Sgt. Florene Taylor of the East Lansing Police Department.