Israel Israel has deployed sponge grenades against Palestinian protesters on several occasions,
Hong Kong The
Hong Kong Police Force has deployed sponge grenades as a riot control tool on several occasions in July 2019 during the
anti-extradition protests.
New Zealand During the fourth week of the
2022 Wellington protests against COVID-19 pandemic safety measures, the
New Zealand Police deployed sponge grenades as one of the many tools used in their effort to clear the
parliamentary grounds of rioters.
United States Sponge grenades were used by some police departments during the
George Floyd protests in the summer of 2020 and were cited as being one of the most common types of less-lethal rounds employed. In some cases, protesters were hit in the head or face with the rounds, causing serious injury. Police shot journalist
Linda Tirado in the face with a sponge grenade, permanently blinding her in one eye; she entered
hospice care four years later due to the
traumatic brain injury. ==See also==