In October 2023, the police updated their procedures for operating the MCTZ (spray machine) to allow the addition of pepper spray to the sprayed water. In February 2024, we sent legal correspondence (Hebrew) to the police requesting information about the type of substance used, its application, safety levels, and relevant medical and legal opinions regarding the use of pepper spray.
The police provided only partial responses to our inquiries. They confirmed that they are permitted to use pepper spray against demonstrators and have done so at several protests following the outbreak of the war. However, they refused to release the medical and legal opinions that justified this extreme measure. Consequently, on September 17, 2024, we filed a Freedom of Information petition in collaboration with the Movement for Freedom of Information in Israel, seeking the disclosure of these opinions.
Pepper spray is a chemical irritant that causes pain, skin and eye irritation, and difficulty breathing. For people with pre-existing health conditions and pregnant women, this measure can even be fatal. Chemical stimulation devices are inherently indiscriminate – that is, they cannot be aimed precisely at a specific person – and therefore there is a high risk that they will be harmed by passersby and vulnerable people. According to the ACRI's correspondence, this is a strategic move by the police, run by a Minister of National Security, who acts to suppress demonstrations and increase violence via very serious escalation in the use of harmful means against demonstrators.
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