Unless they can deploy it with surgical precision this will literally blowback on them. One of the common components of riots is that they occur in densely populated areas that include innocent civilians. They start spraying this shiite around on people and all they will do is infuriate the fence-sitters.
Dumb idea.
All the reporters and “community leaders” could be doused, which sounds fine to me, but boy will they raise cain. Especially if this smell actually lasts for weeks as described.