What Would You Get Tear Gassed for?

Tear gas seems to be pretty in vogue at the moment. Protesters in Turkey, Brazil, and even Switzerland have been subjected to some of that noxious tear-jerker in the past couple of weeks, leaving the rest of the world back in the demonstration dark ages. Protests featuring tear gas are iD magazine to the rest of the world's Cosmo—we're trailing behind, thinking we're sexy with our batons and shields, when really we're just a bunch of fucking squares.

Unfortunately, US police don't use the stuff too often. But if they did, strangers I spoke to on the street, what do you feel passionate enough about to get tear gassed for?

D: Shit! I have no idea.

VICE: There's nothing you'd go up against tear gas and rubber bullets for?
Probably something to do with design. I don’t know, though.

Like if the government banned computer-aided design?
If they removed all the typefaces in the world and there was only Comic Sans left, I’d be pretty pissed off.

And you lost the ability to use it to piss off other designers?
Yeah. This is possibly the worst answer ever.

It's a pretty niche answer.

Andy: For freedom you mean?

Yeah.
It would have to be almost a complete social breakdown for me to get tear gassed or have rubber bullets shot at me.

What about the NSA fiasco? Did that not make you want to riot in the streets?
Nah, I assumed they pretty much do that anyway. It would have to be way more serious than that—some pretty major corruption.

Daniel: I wouldn’t ever go somewhere thinking I was going to get tear gassed, but I do go to a lot of protests.

Oh, that's good. So when the police crack out their riot gear…
I like to think I could stay. I think it would make me want to protest more, because you’re protesting against the tactics as well. I’d try and stick it out.

Hot shit.

Tony’s friend (out of shot): A ban on beer?
Tony: If it was for the right cause, I’d get up. But a lot of the time these things get manipulated by the media and the government, who make it seem like people are being violent for the sake of it.

I hear that.
But yeah, probably a ban on beer.

Fair enough.

Kat (left) and Sandy.

Sandy: I’m a pretty chill person, so it would take quite a lot.
Kat: Yeah, it’d definitely have to be pretty bad.

There must be something.
Sandy: I’m pretty protective of my family, so if something was to happen to them that would tick me off quite a lot. I’m not sure about the rubber bullets, though.