Council Weighs Limits on Police Chemical Weapons
Residents exposed to tear gas testified Thursday as the council resumes its debate on a ban that would apply citywide.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Law Enforcement
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Should Portland police be banned from using tear gas on protesters?
Portlanders who have been hit by tear gas and other chemical munitions told City Council on Thursday what the exposure did to them, as the council weighs a proposal to bar the Portland Police Bureau from using CS gas and other chemical weapons inside city limits.
Why it matters
The question of whether Portland police keep chemical munitions in reserve as a last resort, or give them up, sits at the center of how the city balances crowd management against physical harm to demonstrators and the people nearby. The Police Bureau argues a ban leaves officers with fewer options and pushes them toward physical force, impact weapons, or firearms, while testimony from people who were exposed puts the human cost on the record.
The Police Bureau reports no tear gas use for crowd management since the 2020 demonstrations, and city stormwater testing from that year found elevated cyanide and heavy metals in catch basins near the federal courthouse. Whether the proposed restriction would be adopted, and how it would apply to federal agents, has not been settled.
The players
Portland City Council
The city's legislative body, which is weighing whether to restrict the Police Bureau's use of chemical munitions.
Portland Police Bureau
The city agency that manages protests and argues that a chemical munitions ban would leave officers with fewer options.
Bureau of Environmental Services
The city bureau that found elevated cyanide and heavy metals in stormwater catch basins near the federal courthouse during the 2020 protests.
The details
Portland City Council heard public testimony Thursday from several people who had been exposed to chemical munitions, including accounts of physical effects from tear gas such as ongoing reproductive health problems. The proposal would center on the Portland Police Bureau using CS gas and other chemical weapons within the city. The Police Bureau's current approach, as described to the council, uses dialogue liaison officers and targeted arrests, with chemical munitions reserved as a last resort. The council is set to resume the discussion Thursday afternoon.
Timeline
2020: Racial equity demonstrations; city stormwater testing near the federal courthouse
Thursday (prior to this report): Council took public testimony from people exposed to chemical munitions
Last week: Police Bureau testimony focused on the bureau's limited current use of chemical weapons
Thursday afternoon: Council resumes discussion on the chemical munitions ban
Beyond the Bridges
The current debate traces back to the 2020 demonstrations, when tear gas was used heavily and city stormwater testing near the federal courthouse found elevated cyanide and heavy metals. The council is now weighing whether to make a restriction permanent, a step that would build on the bureau's stated move away from chemical munitions since 2020.
If the council adopts a restriction, Portland police would no longer be able to use CS gas or other chemical weapons inside city limits, which would change how protests are policed on the streets near you. Residents who want to weigh in can attend the council's Thursday afternoon session or send testimony to the council clerk before the vote.
The takeaway
The chemical munitions question comes down to how much physical harm the city is willing to accept in exchange for keeping a less-lethal option available to officers. Watch Thursday's afternoon session to see where the council lands on the proposed restriction.
What happens next
Portland City Council resumes its discussion of the chemical munitions ban on Thursday afternoon.
Further reading
For more on how police policy is set in the city, see the Law Enforcement coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KATU.
Live Poll
Should Portland police be banned from using tear gas on protesters?
