A Virginia judge has refused a request from several Richmond protestors to immediately limit how city and state police use tear gas against demonstrators.
Represented by the ACLU of Virginia, several protestors were asking for a temporary restraining order to protect themselves from what they say is an egregious use of force by police. They asked that officers be limited to using chemical weapons and rubber bullets only if there’s a clear and present danger, and if crowds are given notice and the ability to retreat.
But a judge Tuesday denied that request, writing that such restrictions "unnecessarily burdens the police and puts them and the public at risk.”
Eden Heilman with the ACLU says they’re disappointed.
“We feel that it will allow the police to continue using unjustified aggression to suppress protestors’ right to free speech," Heilman says. "The case will continue, we will continue to fight in court to bring justice.”
The ruling is temporary; both sides are still waiting for a full trial date. But in the meantime, the judge wrote protestors could choose to demonstrate without blocking roadways or disrupting public peace and order.
And as protests over police brutality and racism continue in Richmond, Governor Ralph Northam has extended a state of emergency declaration there. It now continues through July 30th.
