Police in Portland and around the country have been criticized for their use of tear gas during protests over police killings of Black people. In Portland, city councilors have expressed concern that tear gas could contribute to the spread of COVID-19 and have called for police to stop using it. Lisa Song recently wrote about police use of tear gas for ProPublica. And Melissa Belli, who works as a doctor for Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center, started a petition to ask state leaders to prevent police from using tear gas during the pandemic.