Police’s New Lethal Weapon vs Anti-Bush Protesters: ‘Rubber Bullets’

Philippine police authorities are awaiting the arrival of a merchandise of rubber bullets that they intend to use against protesters who are expected to take to the streets when U.S. President George W. Bush arrives for an eight-hour visit on Oct. 18. But rubber bullets have been found to be lethal and their use as a weapon of crowd control has been condemned in many countries.

By Bulatlat.com  

The X-ray (left) of a 14-year-old Palestinian boy who died with a rubber bullet (shown as a round spot) in his skull in October 2000. (Below) A rubber-coated metal bullet

Is the use of “rubber bullets” as a means of crowd control allowed under Philippine laws?

This question has been raised following reports last week that the Philippine National Police (PNP) is expecting the arrival of a merchandise of “rubber bullets” from abroad and that the bullets, described as “non-lethal” and therefore “safe” by police authorities, will be used for the Oct. 18 visit of U.S. President George W. Bush to restrain protesters.

There are recent revelations, however, that the “rubber bullets” whose use has been the object of condemnation in many countries including Israel, Great Britain and the United States are misleading and that their use has resulted in deaths and critical wounds.

Last week, the fisherfolk alliance Pamalakaya condemned the new police ammunition for crowd control as “brutal, horrendous and despicable.” Similarly, Reggie Vallejos, secretary general of Nnara-Youth, termed the use of rubber bullets against protesters as “an act of state terror against the people.”

A study conducted by doctors at the Rambam Medical Center at Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, northern Israel last year found that rubber bullets used by Israeli police against protesting Arab-Palestinians killed at least three people in October 2000. One of those killed, 14-year-old Wael Imad, had a rubber bullet piercing his skull.

The three were among 13 protesters who died in a series of violent dispersal of anti-Israel protests by Palestinians. The other fatalities died of live rounds.

Metal bullets

Most experts say that the phrase “rubber bullets” should instead be termed “rubber-coated metal bullets.” A rubber bullet is actually a heavy steel projectile with a minimal coating of 1mm or 2mm of rubber.

A rubber-coated metal bullet is fired from metal tubes placed on the end of high-velocity rifles such as M-16s. Rubber- as well as plastic-coated metal bullets can enter the skull cavity and also break bones.

The Rambam Medical study, published by The Lancet medical journal in London,  analyzed the medical records of 595 casualties admitted to hospital during the October 2000 protests by Palestinians living inside Israel. Of these, 152 were found to have been wounded by rubber-coated metal bullets.

Nearly 60 percent of the rubber bullet wounds were above the belly button, which means that the Israeli police were not always aiming at the legs, the study said. Although half the injuries were mild, 35 percent were considered moderately severe wounds and 19 percent were severe. It was also found that some of the police fired at close range.

Three people were blinded and one patient turned psychotic, the study noted.

Of the three who died, two had bullets going through their eyes and piercing the brain. The third died from a post-surgery complication, The Lancet journal said.

Northern Ireland

The original rubber bullets were first used by the British in 1970 in northern Ireland. The rubber bullets were designed to be fired at the ground so that they would bounce up and hit the legs of Irish demonstrators. These have been replaced today by the baton rounds (or plastic bullets) which are lighter, faster and more accurate.

Other variations used in many countries including the United States are, aside from rubber-coated metal bullets, rubber plugs, beanbag rounds (fabric beanbags about the size of a tea bag filled with lead pellets).

As a crowd control weapon, rubber bullets are supposed to be fired at the legs at least 131 feet (or 39 meters) away with the intent to paralyze the protester. But unless a policeman is trained on the proper use of rubber bullets, the bullet may hit other parts of the body or shot at close range that would prove fatal to the victim.

The Israeli doctors who conducted the study condemned rubber bullets as “highly dangerous.”

In Philippine Congress, Ilocos Norte Rep. Imee Marcos also bared last week the PNP will use rubber bullets to stop protesters during the Bush visit. She called the police guidelines ill-advised and outmoded and that the use of rubber bullets is highly questionable.

With the Bush visit just three weeks ahead, Philippine police have stepped up the dispersal of protests with many activists including peasants, educators and church activists beaten up and hauled into jail.

Under Malacañang orders, police authorities are invoking the “no permit, no rally” regulation, a remnant of Marcos decrees during martial law and which human rights lawyers say has been set aside by the 1987 Constitution. With a report by Gerry Albert Corpuz / Bulatlat.com

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