Beware armored policing

I hope people in Spokane have been as shocked as I have been by the events in Ferguson, Missouri. I am deeply concerned about the militarization of our local police departments. Both the United States and Washington state constitutions place a paramount importance on the right of citizens to peacefully assemble and petition the government.

Unarmed citizens exercising their rights should never have weapons pointed at them, or be confronted by military tactics. As a community we would be outraged if armed police marched into the Sunday service at a local church, or marched into the newsroom of a newspaper. We must be equally vigilant to protect the right to assemble and protest.

We must ask our mayor, city council, and police chief what specific policies, if any, exist in the city of Spokane governing police response to protests, use of tear gas, and the use of military types of weapons and tactics against unarmed citizens engaged in protest. Tear gas is banned in war, it shouldn’t be used on our own citizens. Military weapons and tactics – without oversight – are a danger to us all. We must ensure that the response of the Spokane Police Department to a large peaceful protest here would be different.

A positive change from these tumultuous events is possible if we take a look at how protests would be dealt with here in Spokane.

Charles Roth

Spokane