Europe: Policing demonstrations in the European Union

Across the European Union, law enforcement officials are required to police demonstrations. However, their methods do not always comply with international standards. This briefing documents personal stories from Greece, Spain and Romania, which illustrate the use of excessive force and “less-lethal” weapons by law enforcement officials against demonstrators. The briefing illustrates some of Amnesty International’s concerns about failure of law enforcement officials to observe international obligations when policing demonstrations across EU countries and recommends good practice for policing demonstrations.