Why has no-one thought of paintballing rioters before?

From El Reg: Greek cops to paintball rioting fans

I skimmed this article in my RSS read and then marked all as read and then stopped, and I’d swear there was a lightbulb over my head!

Why have police forces not considered this before? Paintballing rioters is a great idea for dispersal…

1. Rubber Bullets and Real Bullets kill, therefore their use is much less than before.
2. The US has a new weapon that simulates your skin burning without hurting, but it’s only just been developed.
3. Water cannons need water, lots of it. They are hard to move quickly from street to street as urban rioters do.
4. Paintball pellets hurt and bruise when they hit (so I’ve been told), therefore inciting people to move away.
5. Paint marks – if the rioters try to regroup later then they will be easily identifiable unless they have changed clothes – arrests can be made at a later point (paint coverage would be enough proof for a basic arrest, CCTV footage could be checked for additional proof).