A protester sustained serious injuries on Wednesday, June 25, after a tear gas canister exploded in his hands during demonstrations in Nairobi’s Central Business District.
Eyewitnesses reported that the man had picked up the canister and attempted to throw it back at police officers a now common act among demonstrators, nicknamed “returning officers.”
Footage from the scene showed another protester placing a cloth on the victim’s hand in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding.
Medics have advised against it, stating that tear gas canisters can explode without warning and can cause severe injury, such as amputation.
