Janine is one of thousands of local activists who took to the streets in the days following the release of a video of Daniel Prude suffocating while being restrained by Rochester police.
The 32-year-old, who asked that we not use her last name, said she participated in several protests demanding justice for Prude.
On two occasions, including the night of Friday, Sept. 4, she said she was there when police used tear gas and pepper bullets to disperse the crowds.
"All of a sudden, one of them just lobs a canister in the middle of the ground and it landed right on my foot," she said.
It was the first time she was exposed to tear gas.
"It does what it's supposed to do," she said. "It makes you cough and gag and barf and your eyes run and all of that."
But since then, the mother of two has noticed something else. She said her menstrual cycle started for the first time in years since she delivered two babies and had an intrauterine (I.U.D.) device implanted.