CBS Bay Area-
A group of Oakland City Council members sent a letter Wednesday to Mayor Libby Schaaf, City Administrator Ed Reiskin and interim police Chief Susan Manheimer calling for an indefinite suspension of the use of tear gas to control and disperse crowds during the ongoing protests and amid the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
In the letter, City Council members Nikki Fortunato Bas, Rebecca Kaplan and Sheng Thao argued that the use of tear gas could needlessly put people at risk for respiratory issues amid a pandemic that can cause significant respiratory damage.
The three council members also noted that the department’s own training bulletin states that breathing tear gas can cause coughing and sneezing, both of which can spread the coronavirus via droplets.
The California Right 