"Ted Wheeler and Chad Wolf think Black lives are so unimportant that they're willing to use hazardous chemicals indiscriminately... And every day, people show up to say Black lives matter and they're willing to put their bodies on the line."
Tear gas, rubber bullets, pepper balls, and a multitude of other munitions have been used by federal, state, and local police in Portland, Oregon during the recent protests.
Dr. Juniper Simonis, scientist and founder of Dapper Stats, has over 15 years of experience in statistical, theoretical, and computational conservation biology. The indiscriminate use of chemical weapons prompted them to put their skills to use as a researcher, and study how these toxic chemicals will affect humans, animals, and waterways in the area for years to come.
KBOO's Nat Moon sat down with Juniper to discuss the use of chemical weapons in Portland, the Oregon League of Conservation Voters' recent endorsement of Ted Wheeler, and the power of mutual aid.
Follow Juniper's work at twitter.com/JuniperLSimonis.
- KBOO