Cops pepper spray peaceful students

[sillysally]

I wonder if these cops playing fast and loose with the pepper spray realize how much it hurts? I think in this state a law enforcement officer has to submit to being sprayed in the face with pepper spray before they can carry it. Don't know if it's like that everywhere though...

[Zoom]

My guess is they know exactly what it feels like, which is why they used it. It's a great excuse for the bullies in badges to shine right now, the "removal of dissenters". It's basically a carte blanche to do whatever, short of actually shooting them.

[AliciaD]

I feel bad for good cops who get a bad rep because of bad cops.

And I hate this "protect our own" mentality that pops up in police.

I think Det. Stabler is an interesting character on Law & Order, but if he was a real cop/detective I would hate him and want him out so fast.

[vanillasugar]

Kerri, this particular issue may not be our country or our issue, but do you know about the Trent Eight? The small group of 8 peaceful protestors who sat in at the Vice President's Academic Office, and 3 days later were taken by force and violence out of the office by 25 officers in riot gear and a dog. 25+1, to take down 8 students. That was at our school, in 2001. This kind of action isn't new, or surprising at this point, and it's only been getting bigger and more serious. Sad.

[Taqroy]

Originally Posted by Shai

http://bicyclebarricade.wordpress.co...da-p-b-katehi/

The student protest is a thing of beauty.

Breaking Video: UC Davis Chancellor Emerges From Press Conf., Tells Me She Didn’t Feel Threatened

[Lilavati]

Nice article on how common this is here: http://www.salon.com/2011/11/20/the_...ing/singleton/

I don't agree with the author on all of his points, but its worth reading.

And a wonderful, if very snarky, bit of commentary here. It lays out very clearly what the problem with the "rationale" for these actions are:

http://blog.simplejustice.us/2011/11...g.aspx?ref=rss

[Zizzy35]

Originally Posted by sillysally

I wonder if these cops playing fast and loose with the pepper spray realize how much it hurts? I think in this state a law enforcement officer has to submit to being sprayed in the face with pepper spray before they can carry it. Don't know if it's like that everywhere though...

Yes, police have to be pepper sprayed & Tasered as part of training. I mean they are litterally held down & pepper sprayed.

I am married to a cop & I work for the prosecutor's office. Not all cops or people in Law Enforcement are like this.

It is sad that this is how it's always portrayed in media. You will only see the bad apples.

As for taxes. Cops pay taxes too!!!

[Lilavati]

This is beautiful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=8775ZmNGFY8

Here is the context:

A pretty remarkable thing just happened. A press conference, scheduled for 2:00pm between the UC Davis Chancellor and police on campus, did not end at 2:30. Instead, a mass of Occupy Davis students and sympathizers mobilized outside, demanding to have their voice heard. After some initial confusion, UC Chancellor Linda Katehi refused to leave the building, attempting to give the media the impression that the students were somehow holding her hostage. A group of highly organized students formed a large gap for the chancellor to leave. They chanted "we are peaceful" and "just walk home," but nothing changed for several hours. Eventually student representatives convinced the chancellor to leave after telling their fellow students to sit down and lock arms.

http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast....arade-ctd.html

Despite the fact that the Occupy UC Davis protestors have never done anything violent, she was afraid of them. And when she did come out, they stood silently. They did not jeer, or wave signs, or shout insults. They stood there silently, absolutely peaceful, and let their silence be their judgment.

I have no idea what particular gripe motivates Occupy UC Davis. I am ambivalent towards the Occupy movement in general. But the dignity, and discipline, and the elegant use of shame in that video has won my deepest admiration.

Kids, I'm not a part of your movement. But I will defend to the death your right to have a movement. And this video makes me very proud of you, just as a fellow American.

[Dekka]

That was pretty neat!

[Lilavati]

I see you have a definition of "active resistance" that is entirely different from that held by . . . pretty much the rest of the human race:

http://tywkiwdbi.blogspot.com/2011/1...esistance.html

You know so much police brutality makes so much sense to me now that I know that "curling into a ball" is active resistance. Being thoroughly cowed and attempting to protect oneself is resistance, justifying the further use of force!