BOSTON (WWLP) – A group of Massachusetts lawmakers are calling on Governor Baker to change the way police departments interact with protesters.

This group of lawmakers want to ban police departments from using tear gar, pepper spray, and rubber bullets on protesters during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The House and Senate Chairs of the Public Health committee wrote a letter to Governor Baker over the weekend. The group said they had “significant concerns that some tactics used by law enforcement are putting protesters at greater risk of contracting the virus.”

They wrote, “Police tactics such as tear gas and pepper spray prompted individuals to remove their masks to cough and gasp for air.”

The group also asked health officials to issue guidance directing protesters to wear a face covering, try to stay six feet away, and self-monitor for symptoms. Protesters in Massachusetts are urged to get tested for COVID-19 if they feel sick after being in a large group.

22News spoke with Northampton State Senator Jo Comerford Monday, she is one of the cosponsors of these changes. She said it would take an executive order for the Governor to change the way police are interacting with protesters.