Recommendation in common for children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities:
Where practical, an area should be designated in the vicinity of the protest for these groups
of persons to be able to stay safe from crowd control tactics involving non-lethal and lethal
weapons. Basic first aid, food, and water should be made available to these persons.
1. Women
1.1.The officers must ensure that no discriminatory, disparaging, or derogatory words are
used.
1.2.The officers must ensure that a reasonable proportion of female officers are dispatched
to protest sites and that crowd dispersal tactics in relation to women are carried out by
female officers as far as possible and practicable.
1.3.Whenever it is necessary to cause a woman to be searched at a protest, the search must
be conducted by a female officer, in accordance with section 30 of the Code of Criminal
Procedure Act No. 15 of 1979 as amended.
2. Children
The Commission asserts that children at protests should be afforded the highest level of
protection, and it is crucial that:
2.1.Tear gas will not be used in areas known or believed to have children present. If the
need to use such weapons arises, ensure that a warning is given to the crowd to
disperse and give special attention to the dispersal any children who may be present.
2.2.Officers must receive ‘psychological training’ to protect and deal with children who
may be separated from their parents.
3. Elderly
The elderly must be treated with respect, while taking into while considering their
physical limitations.
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