‘This Is All Very Dangerous’: Violence, Tear Gas And Mass Arrests Amplify Risks Of Protesting During Pandemic

Politico: Mass Arrests Jeopardizing The Health Of Protesters, Police
Mass arrests of protesters across the country — many held for hours in vans, cells and other enclosed spaces — are heightening the risk of coronavirus spread, according to public health experts and lawsuits filed by civil rights groups. ... The use of tear gas and pepper spray, which provoke coughing, adds to the health risk, as do police crowd control techniques like “kettling” — pushing demonstrators into smaller, contained and tightly packed spaces. “The police tactics — the kettling, the mass arrests, the use of chemical irritants — those are completely opposed to public health recommendations,” said Malika Fair, director of Public Health Initiatives at the Association of American Medical Colleges. “They're causing protesters to violate the six-feet recommendation. The chemicals may make them have to remove their masks. This is all very dangerous.” (Ollstein and Goldberg, 6/4)

Los Angeles Times: Tear Gas At Protests May Spread Coronavirus, Experts Say 
Using tear gas or pepper spray to subdue protesters will only help spread the coronavirus in the middle of a pandemic, infectious disease experts warn, urging law enforcement to abandon the practice for public health reasons. Spraying people with tear gas causes them to cough, shout and scream — and that will send infectious droplets from an infected person to others, said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a professor of medicine and an infectious diseases specialist at UC San Francisco. (Lin, 6/4)

ProPublica: Tear Gas Is Way More Dangerous Than Police Let On — Especially During The Coronavirus Pandemic
When Amira Chowdhury joined a protest in Philadelphia against police violence on Monday, she wore a mask to protect herself and others against the coronavirus. But when officers launched tear gas into the crowd, Chowdhury pulled off her mask as she gasped for air. “I couldn’t breathe,” she said. “I felt like I was choking to death.” Chowdhury was on a part of the Vine Street Expressway that ran underground. Everyone panicked as gas drifted into the dark, semi-enclosed space, she said. People stomped over her as they scrambled away. Bruised, she scaled a fence to escape. But the tear gas found her later that evening, inside her own house; as police unleashed it on protesters in her predominantly black neighborhood in West Philadelphia, it seeped in. (Song, 6/4)

New Orleans Times-Picayune: ACLU Of Louisiana Calls Police Use Of Tear Gas On Protesters Unlawful 'Chemical Warfare'
The ACLU of Louisiana on Thursday condemned the actions of the New Orleans Police Department after officers Wednesday night shot tear gas into a crowd of protesters assembled on the Crescent City Connection, turning what had been a peaceful march into a chaotic rush off the bridge. A statement from ACLU Louisiana Executive Director Alanah Odoms Hebert called the police's tactics "violent and unlawful." (Ravits, 6/4)

Boston Globe: ‘A Balancing Act’: As Marches Continue, Spread Of Virus Remains A Concern
After more than two months of lockdowns and social distancing to avoid spreading the coronavirus, the sight of thousands of protesters crowding Boston’s streets and parks may have been jarring to some. But to many in the Black community and their supporters, the threat of spreading COVID-19 didn’t compare to their need to demonstrate against the systemic racism and police brutality faced by Black people. The protests erupted following the killing of George Floyd. (Martin and Abel, 6/4)

Los Angeles Times: California Lawmakers Promise To Set Rules For Rubber Bullets
Alarmed at numerous reports that protesters in recent days have been seriously injured by rubber bullets fired by police officers, a group of California lawmakers said Thursday they will introduce legislation to set clear standards for when the projectiles can be used. Four lawmakers proposed revising current policy on use of the projectiles in response to incidents reported throughout the country by those who have been protesting the death of George Floyd, who was killed when a Minneapolis police officer used his knee to pin Floyd’s neck to the ground. (McGreevy, 6/4)

Los Angeles Times: Amid Protests, California Coronavirus Cases Near 120,000
With protests across California decrying the death of George Floyd in their seventh day, health officials continue to sound the alarm that such close gatherings are likely to contribute to the spread of the coronavirus. The number of confirmed cases in California surpassed 120,000 on Thursday, with the death toll reaching more than 4,400. The long-standing anger over killings like that of Floyd — who was pinned to the ground as a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck — and the newer threat of the COVID-19 outbreak have become a joint crisis. (Carcamo, Karlamangla and Willon, 6/4)

NBC News: New York Protesters Say They Are Facing Two Deadly Pandemics: Racism And Coronavirus
At the start of a silent vigil outside the New York City mayor's mansion Wednesday night, one of the organizers called out a few ground rules to the thousands who had gathered. One of the most important, he said, “Keep masks on.” Few have forgotten the past few months: New York City, ground zero in the United States for the coronavirus pandemic that killed more than 20,000 of its residents, shut down as residents stayed inside as much as possible. (McCausland, 6/4)

The New York Times: How A City Besieged By The Virus Turned Out To Be Heard
A teenager outside the Port Authority Bus Terminal, taking a knee on a block crowded with protesters, relished the feeling lost these last months — of being part of something. A 23-year-old art teacher, Evan Woodard, was thrilled to see his city at the fore of a nationwide event. “I’m proud to call myself a New Yorker,” he said. “This is everyone’s city.” People who just last month were dutifully keeping behind doors and masks have turned out by the tens of thousands in the past week to gather in the streets and shout to be heard. (Wilson and Garcia, 6/4)

Los Angeles Times: Photo Of Long Beach Officer Standing Over Blood With His Baton Spurs Internal Investigation
The Long Beach Police Department has launched an internal investigation after an officer shared photos on his social media, including one showing him standing over blood with his baton, this week amid days of protests held in the city against the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. According to an email sent Thursday by City Manager Tom Modica, the department became aware of a “social media post an officer had on his Facebook page” that included “a baton and blood on the ground.” (Vega and Queally, 6/4)

Kaiser Health News: Social Media Fears About Lack Of Coverage For Protest Injuries May Be Overblown
Thousands of protesters thronged the streets in recent days to express their anger over the killing of an African American man, George Floyd, in police custody in Minneapolis. The mostly peaceful rallies have turned violent at times, with police using batons, tear gas and rubber bullets that caused serious injuries. That led to online social media postings that health plans might deny coverage for medical treatment of injured protesters, some suggesting it might be better for protesters not to tell providers how they got hurt. (Andrews, 6/5)

The Associated Press: Police Try To Stop Floyd Rally In Sydney Due To Virus Fears
Police challenged whether a Black Lives Matter protest planned for Saturday in Australia’s largest city is too much of a virus risk, as demonstrators in the capital reminded the country that racial inequality is not a U.S. issue alone. In Canberra, organizers of a rally Friday that attracted about 2,000 demonstrators handed out masks and hand sanitizer. Most protesters kept a recommended social distance but drew closer to hear speeches. Public gatherings are limited to 20 in Canberra, but police did not intervene. (6/5)