@MissGayle correct. One of the most common side effects for ovary havers is the cramping and teargas periods. Since the summer at least 5 people have had miscarriages due to exposure in Portland, including residents who aren’t protesters but just live nearby the ICE facility

Anyways, if any chemical weapons expert or science understanders want to chat, please hit me up. I’ll be writing an article about Saturday. If you are a chemical weapons expert who is claiming the people on the ground who were actually exposed are “exaggerating,” please ignore.

I have no reason to exaggerate. I simply share my own experience, the experiences people share with me, and things I personally have observed. I’m aware much of it is anecdotal and everyone has a different reaction. That doesn’t make it any less important to document. Our bodies are suffering and there is still so much we don’t know. You can subtract all the use of munitions from this equation and the violence remains. There is zero reason to exaggerate. I have even encouraged people to stop calling green smoke “HC” or “mustard gas” and try to correct misinformation when I can. But saying people are exaggerating is insulting!

Although this is typical for me with any teargas exposure and not specific to just HC, I did just start my period this morning too even though I already had it this month. Have heard the same from a few others as well.

RE: https://kolektiva.social/@alissaazar/115954859112536565

This photo was sent to me by someone else who was exposed to HC on Saturday. The skin on their face was also quite irritated, but not as bad as their hands which were entirely exposed. They added that they also felt extremely tired, confused, had a sore thoat and felt nauseous Saturday night and Sunday. They told me that they have been exposed to teargas before but had never had this experience.

Someone else reached out and shared their experience as well:

“I coughed up copious amounts of liquid to the point of vomiting after coming home. My whole face looks sunburned. My nose has not stopped running since the exposure and I have had fever like feelings. I’ve been exposed to a lot of tear gas. I’m a 40 year old activist, first major protest when I was 14. This stuff was different and awful. I have reactive airways and it’s seriously made me question if I can even be a front line protester anymore.”

@SmolGojira https://www.wewillfreeus.org/

@Poljack that’s lovely to hear. And understandable! Autonomy is so important and a big personal factor for me.

@Poljack oh it so would!

I wish I had a better answer aside from me personally being an anarchist and feeling like that perfectly encapsulated the wide range of things I wish to cover on the site. No matter the marginalization or oppression, it’ll be the people who liberate themselves. Collective power >

As some of you may already know I started an antifascist publication called We Will Free Us last year. The website now has a space for community submissions, but we are also hoping to get more people to contribute regularly! If you want to write or contribute in any way please reach out to contributions@wewillfreeus.org

We’re also hoping to begin putting out weekly roundups of important news people may have missed, and between everything going on and spending time otg we could definitely use some help!

Aftercare advice if you were exposed from a medic:

You may feel brain fog, grogginess, body aches, loss of appetite, nausea, have irritated bowels, persistent coughing... And if you have a uterus it might trigger you to shed whatever you've grown in there, mostly referring to the lining.

Please drink lots of water, get lots of rest mentally and physically. If you can: have a multivitamin, extra vitamin C, lion's mane if you can find it, a regular dosage of a magnesium complex, and eat pre/probiotics for your gut biome

Please take care of your bodies this stuff is no joke

I don’t know why I’m so upset with myself. it would have been irresponsible to say that HC was used over a gut feeling and physical symptoms without actually knowing it was used. I’m just upset. I’m just so angry that they can do this. Using HC and heavily gassing people and a neighborhood because people were what? Standing in a driveway that wasn’t even being used?

These chemicals cause long lasting harm to our bodies and I fear we don’t even know the half of it. Their violence knows no bounds.

Here is that thread I mentioned

https://kolektiva.social/@alissaazar/114802068549738677

I say this not for pity but to share experience and to help keep people better prepared and informed.

Shortly before leaving the facility I started cramping. I have been exposed to teargas many times, it typically takes me two days before exposure begins having noticeable effects on my cycle. 24 hours on munition heavy nights a few times but it’s usually two days or so for me.

I knew something felt off. I typically listen to my gut but I ignored it. I was wearing a full face gas mask. During that last wave of teargas, I was really holding it together while filming. Mostly because my eyes were burning. I took off my mask to clear my eyes after the feds retreated and after inhaling one time I couldn’t breathe. I literally couldn’t breathe. I made it to the sidewalk and was on my knees when a medic came over to help. Drinking water helped the burning feeling a little bit, as it had felt like I swallowed fire. Teargas is uncomfortable obviously but not usually *that* bad and intense. For me anyways. I cleaned off and took a break and remained otg for a few hours. I felt better.

Idk if it’s the adrenaline wearing off or what but I have since felt a lot worse. My skin is decontaminated, but my head is pounding, my stomach is killing me and I feel extremely nauseous.

Turns out the feds deployed HC gas tonight. (Which is not green smoke that many think it is. I have another thread on this I will link in next post)

Luckily the wind was working in everyone’s favor tonight. But fuck.

Alright I’m out for the night. Cat cuddles are calling

This is a very small portion of the residue left behind from their chemical warfare. People were washing away as much as they could but a lot still remains. A reminder that the portland ICE facility is surrounded by housing. People walk their pets and children here. The preschool next door to the facility had to relocate recently because of how poisoned their school grounds got from all the chemical warfare deployed by the feds

Ok I didn’t see any of them but hearing portland police made 4 arrests throughout the night

The usual far right agitators showed up a little bit ago. There was a scuffle with them and the far right live streamer Shane maced someone and threatened to shoot them. Still probably at least 100 people out but it’s thinned out

Sorry for all the typos lmao my eyes were burning and hands were freezing from washing off. I took my mask off because I needed to use a sudecon wipe and the second I did I couldn't breathe so I sat down on the sidewalk and a medic helped me out. So impressed by peoples grit and righteous rage

Again, this was really intense and their use of munitions was extremely heavy handed. But people are still holding ground and remain undeterred. If anything, people seem angrier and more determined.

Had to clip the video in two parts because it's too long so check next post. This was intense. The feds were so heavy handed with munitions and intentionally aiming for heads. Countless people being treated by medics. At least one person did get hit in the head but luckily are ok.

Leading up to this people were just standing in front of the building and chanting. No cars came in or out. No arrests. Just violence for the sake of violence.