Poster #39 - The Social and Biological Impact of Chemical Irritants used Against Protesters in a Democracy

• In Event: Poster Session I (posters 1 - 79)

Abstract

This study examines the impacts of “riot control agents” used by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents against American protestors. Popularized during World War I, these chemical agents come in many forms, each producing different effects with varying degrees of severity. While they remain in use by domestic law enforcement agents, several were banned as instruments of warfare under the Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993. These chemical agents directly impact people and the environment due to their inability to be distributed with precision, spreading rapidly through the air and leaving a trail of harmful toxins. Using a sample of respondents who protested from January to March of 2026, this study seeks to better understand the social, psychological and physical impacts these agents had on protestors.

Authors

• Madison Bleess, Winona State University

• Douglas Dallier, Winona State University