Greek authorities use range of tear gas against migrants

The Omega Research Foundation has identified a range of different “less lethal” weapons being used by Greek authorities – including potentially lethal tear gas - being used against migrants by Greek security forces at the Turkish/Greek border. Images posted on Twitter show expended CS 560 long range tear gas canisters made by the US company Federal Laboratories, which have an extended range of up to 150m.

Federal Laboratories CS 560 Speeheat long range CS projectile, date of manufacture unknown, allegedly used by Greek police at Pazarkule border @N_Waters89 @Brian_Castner @bobtrafford https://t.co/ZjlLrw5M6j

— Omega Research Foundation (@Omega_RF) March 4, 2020

Extended range munitions have more kinetic energy and a pointed tip to help them travel further. As well as images of used projectiles, media sources have published photos of Greek security personnel loading a CS 560 canister into a grenade launcher.

The Foundation also identified images posted by Reuters as shorter range 555 CS grenades also made by Federal Laboratories alongside grenades made by a Turkish company called Yavascalar, and GL series grenades by the Brazilian company Condor.

Images from @Reuters of tear gas projectiles / grenades including 555 CS (Federal Laboratories, USA), Yavex grenades (Yavascalar, Turkey), GL series CS grenade (Condor, Brazil) and rubber bursting grenades @N_Waters89 @Brian_Castner https://t.co/C6McMQgahj

— Omega Research Foundation (@Omega_RF) March 5, 2020

The Greek police deployed over a 1000 officers with tear gas, water cannon, armoured vehicles and helicopters to their border with Turkey, in an attempt to stop large numbers of migrants from entering the country, after Turkish authorities opened the border. Social media users have reported at least one fatality and hundreds of people injured.