Who, What, Why: What is skunk water?
Saturday, September 12, 2015
Police departments in the United States are reported to have bought a foul-smelling liquid developed in Israel to repel protesters. What is "skunk" and how is it used, asks Yolande Knell.
It is a truly putrid stench. Palestinians who have been sprayed describe it as "worse than raw sewage" and "like a mixture of excrement, noxious gas and a decomposing donkey".
Invented by Israeli firm Odortec, skunk water was first used by the Israeli military against demonstrators in the occupied West Bank in 2008. Since then armoured vehicles equipped with water cannon spraying jets of the stinky liquid have become a regular sight.
Although it may induce a gagging reflex, the company says skunk is made "100% food-grade ingredients" and is "100% eco-friendly - harmless to both nature and people".
The secret recipe includes yeast, baking powder and water, which sounds innocent enough. But the scent can linger on skin and in the environment for days, sometimes longer.
"Once I was trapped against a wall and covered head to toe in skunk," a Palestinian photographer says.
"Afterwards my car stank and my wife made me undress outside the house. One of my cameras was destroyed and the rest of my kit still smells."
A spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told the BBC that skunk is "an effective, non-lethal, riot dispersal means" that can reduce the risk of casualties. The police, too, describe it as a "humane" option.
Tear gas and rubber bullets are regularly used against angry crowds, and sometimes even live ammunition.
"The police deal with an important ethical question: is there a need to hurt a fiery crowd in order to disperse it?" says spokeswoman, Luba Samri.
"By choosing to use this tool, the answer is clear and the ethical problem is solved as there's no need to hurt the protesters even if they act violently."
Israeli security forces have been accused of misusing the stinking liquid.
Last year police sprayed large quantities of it in East Jerusalem neighbourhoods, at a time of widespread unrest.
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel complained that this was "disproportionate", affecting the lives of tens of thousands of Palestinians.
It documented cases where homes, shops and schools were hit with the foul liquid long after rioters had left the area.
In the West Bank village of Kafr Qaddum, skunk has been used to break up weekly rallies against Israel's closure of a nearby road. The protest organiser claims his home has also been singled out.
Subscribe to the ShahzaibJamal to get articles sent to your inbox.
0 comments