Thread by @TexasTribune

1/ Protesters are risking exposure to coronavirus.

Demonstrators say their anger outweighs their fear.

But that fearlessness is stirring anxiety for public health experts.

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2/ Renee Lopez, who uses a wheelchair because of a congenital joint disease, worries she could be at greater risk of serious illness.

But this weekend she joined the protests.

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3/ Wearing a mask, Lopez left only when her motorized wheelchair’s battery ran low.

“I didn’t care if I was exposed to COVID. I had this single-mindedness to go and protest because I feel like I just can’t take it anymore.”

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4/ Erin Medina said she felt compelled to show solidarity with other people from marginalized backgrounds.

“I felt so strongly about what happened and that there needs to be support that it didn’t matter about my health.”

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5/ Michelle Burris drove from her suburban home near Fort Worth to downtown Dallas to join a Friday night protest.

It was the first time she’d been in a large group of people in months, she said.

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6/ These demonstrations brought thousands of people into close contact with each other in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

Experts warn that they may hasten the spread of the disease.

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7/ Because the coronavirus is primarily spread from person to person through respiratory droplets, some experts warned that protesters’ shouting, as well as police use of tear gas and pepper spray, could increase the likelihood of transmission.

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8/ The overwhelming consensus from public health officials is that an increase in virus cases will follow this weekend’s protests.

Read more here. bit.ly/3eGO9Sg

9/9 Have you protested in Texas over George Floyd's death and police violence?

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