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Cops pepper spray peaceful UC Davis protesters
By Kristin HuntNovember 19th, 2011, 4:15 pmComments (96)
Yesterday, protests on the UC Davis campus took a shocking, horrible turn when police brutally pepper-sprayed a group of students who were not issuing threats, brandishing weapons, or even gesticulating with menace. Nope, they were just sitting on the ground.
The campus rally was held in response to tuition hikes and the police brutality towards UC Berkeley protesters on Tuesday. It was apparently endorsed by the school's faculty (in fact, an assistant professor even organized it), but Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi ordered police to clear protesters off the quad on Friday. When the rallying students peacefully sat on the ground and linked arms, the police pepper-sprayed them.
But it didn't stop there. According to Assistant Professor Nathan Brown's account, the cops then used their batons to push students apart and even forced open the mouths of some of the protesters, pepper-spraying directly down their throats. One student was reportedly coughing up blood forty-five minutes after the fact.
Brown is calling for Katehi's resignation in an open letter. He writes:
"The fact is: the administration of UC campuses systematically uses police brutality to terrorize students and faculty, to crush political dissent on our campuses, and to suppress free speech and peaceful assembly ... You are responsible for the police violence directed against students on the UC Davis quad on November 18, 2011. As I said, I am writing to hold you responsible and to demand your immediate resignation on these grounds."
A chancellor who (indirectly) harms rather than protects her students is surely doing a terrible job, and the cops' total lack of reservations about pepper-spraying peaceful protesters is disturbing to say the least. But if you slow down the video, I think you can spot one of the students move his foot menacingly. So, you know, grave threat right there.
Commentarium (96 Comments)
I seriously doubt the students were sitting in silence- I'm sure some words were uttered to provoke the officer to spray them. Still, it's completely inappropriate.
If someone is 'provoked' by words, that person should not be a police officer.
It's clear that the officer was acting in self-defense. Having refused the order to clear the area, the protestors became a threat-in-being that had to be dealt with. If you don't nip this shit in the bud right quick, it turns into Toronto or Vancouver. Step on.
Repeated orders to move and disperse should be met with non-lethal force. Nothing to see here, move on.
Pepper spraying down their throats, eh? SO if someone tells you to leave and you don't, you feel that you would have earned this treatment? You wouldn't think "Gee, this seems totally unnecessary, why didn't they just handcuff me and take me away if it really was that illegal?"
I know, you are about human rights, activism etc. But be less obtuse for once and admit that pepper spraying some kids (who are probably proud of this fact) on a college campus in Orange county isn't really that brutal. I am not talking about someone asking you to leave a restaurant.
Zeig Heil "ggg"! Low grade civil disobedience like this doesn't warrant this kind of response. As a conservative Republican I'm appalled at this drift towards unnecessarily heavy handed police action. This is not the sort of society I want.
Amazing what the world has come to. There are actually human beings who think this kind of police action can be justified -- and that police orders MUST be obeyed!
I like that you classify me as being about "human rights, activism, etc.". Incredibly dismissive.
I refuse to admit that it isn't brutal. IT IS. It is incredibly disturbing and hearing the panicked shrieks of people in pain physically hurts me and upsets me.
That you could look at people, people who were sitting there, injured and be so impassive about it really says that you are lacking the empathy switch in your brain.
pretty much everything you just said is incorrect...UC Davis isn't even in Orange County...
ggg, you're a fucking idiot, plain and simple.
I am confident many of you will outgrow your fistpumping, fight the power days. I did.
...everyone should aspire to "outgrow" the First Amendment. It seems you might need to outgrow your apathy towards civil rights.
F'reals. At what age does one "outgrow" this? Because I'm pretty sure I know people who are twenty, thirty, forty years older than me who still give a shit and aren't content to leave a legacy of taking and giving nothing back.
we are asking you to leave nerve.com you sold out neo con asshole
yeah, the students weren't supposed to be on campus, but all those violence prone police were
Let's see how ggg feels about "admitting that pepper spraying some kids... isn't really that brutal" when it gets done to him. Please allow me to pull the trigger.
The asshat Lt. with the can and the powers that be who endorse his actions needs to be civically brutalized with pepper spray themselves. Non-violent protest should never be met with this brutal strategy. These are local police on a college campus~ why are they using violent militaristic tactics?
Because every local police force is now trained - and armed - like a small military.
here is an interesting article written about just that by a professor at UC Davis:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-ostertag/uc-davis-protest_b_1103039.html
I love the photo of MLK with interlocked arms...
It's really disturbing.
Allow me to finish your sentence for you, ho:
"to see all the liberal retard bleeding heart defense of the pathetic protesters."
Nice bit of propaganda, Nerve. Peaceable doesn't necessarily mean lawful. Those fuckers knew it would come to this. It's what they wanted so they could get martyr status from all the libs.
My name is comma, the hateful conservatroll. What I'm not pretending to understand free speech, I'm bashing hippies and libs.
You're right: peaceable doesn't necessarily mean lawful. But are you trying to say that unlawful behavior automatically justifies a violent response? I can see cuffing and arresting people for this kind of behavior. But, seriously, you're trying to say that hosing them down with caustic chemicals is an appropriate police response to passive resistance? Would shooting them be OK too? Too harsh? Maybe just a non-lethal shot through the arm or leg?
Seriously, I get that these protesters can at times be annoying, self-righteous, and rather entitled in attitude. I sure don't agree with everything they're saying. Police sometimes have to use force--but that force has to be calibrated to the situation at hand. I hope that everyone--liberal or conservative--will eventually figure out that brutalizing those who annoy you or those with whom you disagree might not be what this country's all about.
feed the teabagger troll...
Go fuck yourself.
They were all linked together in a way that it would have taken serious force by the police to separate them and they still would have cried foul. They knew the risks, so they shouldn't be bitching about the outcome. Crybaby hippies.
...is it illegal to link arms? The only risk they take is the one you don't: Standing up for a better cause.
Well, stupid, they received a lawful order to disperse because they were blocking a public right of way. They didn't comply and got what they deserved. Buh-bye now.
Apparently you don't understand the 1st Amendment? "The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering with the right to peaceably assemble or prohibiting the petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances." The students had every right to protest, but maybe you're too "stupid" to understand that?
Well, stupid, I understand that they disobeyed the law. You can copy and paste all you want but the first amendment stopped being a factor once they were ordered to disperse. They broke the law, stupid.
you can't name the "law" they broke, stupid.
your trolling comes through the pus filled stunted mentality of a neo con asswipe
Been there, done that. Still haven't learned to read, have you?
for that law, conservatroll.
it looked like the police were blocking public access and the students were successful in chanting away the terrorrists
Sign me up for the police state! History shows that despotism always reigns! Heil!!!
There isn't anything the police could have done here that wouldn't have been described as heavy handed. The problem is that the hippies think that if it's non-violent, then it must me legal.
Because I think giving chemical burns to young girls for exercising free speech isn't heavy handed. Derp!
You talk like they just walked up to a random girl and sprayed her. They didn't. They sprayed people that had no intention of obeying a lawful order and they suffered the consequences. I'll bet that next time they get their asses up and out of the way. Score one for law and order against dirty hippies.
...come on, genius: Tell us what "law" they were breaking. Score zero for your lack of common sense and idiot trolling.
-1 for your thinking that free speech trumps every other law. They broke the law, they were warned, they ignored the warning, they got what they deserved. To he'll with them.
Come on now, troll: Tell us what law. You won't because you can't.
These cops could be charged with assault, battery, false imprisonment....take your pick.
They were illegally blocking a public right of way. That's one law. They disobeyed a lawful police order and that broken law number two. It isn't any different than if they showed up in somebody's home and did a sit in. This was just a way for them to make martyrs of themselves. There, stupid, I named two laws. Happy?
The students didn't block access to buildings or any choice of campus destination. Sitting in one area of a campus quad doesn't block public right of way. You're just making up excuses to justify the police brutality, plain and simple. So no, comma troll, you didn't name two laws.
Non-violent protesters do not surrender their Fourth Amendment Rights to be free from excessive force by police. Specifically, non-violent protesters may sue police and the municipality of county that employs them under this Federal law, 42 United States Code Section 1983 if they have been pepper sprayed while peacefully protesting, whether or not the protesters were arrested.
You screwed up the 4th amendment. And I did name two laws that were broken. But you go ahead and butcher the constitution.
hopefully a fascist cop will pepper spray, then tase you for speeding. They weren't doing anything wrong neo con shit for brains
No, I didn't butcher the 4th Amendment. No, you didn't name two valid laws, you just made shit up. You might want to look into police brutality cases:
Garrett v. Athens-Clarke County, 378 F.3d 1274 (11th Cir. 2004)
Isom v. Town of Warren, 360 F.3d 7 (1st Cir. 2004)
Champion v. Outlook Nashville, Inc., 380 F.3d 893 (6th Cir. 2004)
Anyone who thinks this is okay is OUT OF THEIR FUCKING MINDS. There are 1,000 better ways to break up a protest than to force a person's mouth open and pepper-spray their throats.
I can't even express how absurd this is. How can THAT MANY policemen stand around and condone this, much less participate in it?
"Someone call the police!"
"We would, but they're all already here, FUCKING TORTURING PEOPLE!"
Waaaaah.
Uh....yup.
Welcome back libtard.
Hey there comma/conservatroll/jr/real jr/riiiight/greg/name of the week. Where have you been? Koch Bros not paying you enough lately?
I got tired of your trolling. I'm still tired of it. And what have you done ever that has made a difference for the "cause"?
always being here to oppose your disgusting world view. I consider it a civic duty, conservatroll.
Once again, stupid, you didn't answer the question.
Yes I did, conservatroll. You just couldn't comprehend it because you're too busy trolling Nerve.
Yank them by the ear. No one can stand that.
I've been to quite a few protests, Greenpeace, Occupy, KeyStone, random ones around the world, etc. I've never complained about being peppersprayed even when I was peaceful because the point is, I'm still breaking the law the moment they declare our gathering unlawful. Whether or not we're being aggressive, there are enough people there to create chaos if we decide to, which makes it a problem for police. Of course, with that said, the photographers should have been peppersprayed as well then. I know what to expect because I'm still there. And there aren't a thousand better ways to break up a protest. Us protesters know exactly how not to be split apart. You can tell us this might affect our school, future job prospects, etc, but that will not stop us from leaving.
See, libtard? And this is from one of your fellow hippies.
You think Lawrence supports your view? That's quite an imagination you have there, comma.
Good insight. But my point is more basic: A bunch of college kids pretending to be activists got peppered spray on campus and this is somehow the most heinous act commited against humanity-- get real. Learn to choose your battles. I am not for any facile, totalirian abuse of power. I expect rational dialogue and thinking from both parties. But one one groups decides to squat for the sole purpose of inciting police acttivity, then what do you expect?
A movement that grows stronger by the day and changes public policy through non-violent civil disobedience. It takes a very weak, small-minded man to belittle those engaging in their Constitutional right to free speech and assembly. I also might remind you: "Squatters" don't may outrageous tuition fees.
Anyone can write something, then pretend it is someone else replying. ggg is a dickhead,
comma is a dickhead, oh hell is a dickhead, etc.
I enjoy trolling the troller )
Trolls should be trolled, especially the ones espousing disgusting, fascist views. Although, Lawrence doesn't seem like a dick to me.
Protesters will be engaging civil rights attorneys to pursue legal action against the University and City of Davis for excessive force and for violating their civil and constitutional rights.
Good luck. I will stand with the court's decision.
That is of course, if they don't pursue an out of court settlement....
that motherfucking pig should be shot!
Because a non-lethal (albeit exceesive) use of force should be met with deadly force? Seems to me that you'd be a good candidate for the Davis police force.
Pepper, bullets, who gives a hill of beans? Praise Jesus, they're breaking the law. "Render unto Caeser that which is Caesar's." Let Jesus do the judgement, kids, and go to church and be obedient!
Commenters condoning the actions of the police in this video are clearly obnoxious assholes.
I think they imported those cops from Toronto, you know?
Seattle.
Miami.
Wow! Those Toronto cops get around more than tourists.
Nice that the entire ACLU / Progressive apparatus is busy down in Gitmo trying to protect the civil rights of some Yemmnis. Of course the Left long ago lost its way and became so wedded to the Democratic party that any principle beliefs were abandoned. Its going to be left to the "Cook" anti-government right wingers to push back against this vile cancer.
you are so completely misinformed. The ACLU is heavily involved in protecting the Constitutional rights of OWS protesters. Don't blame the Left because you're angry that your 2012 ticket is Serial Adulterer/Groping Pizza Man. Your hypocritical party of "No!" has obstructed progress for too long. Time to get the fuck out of the way...
Compared to resources that they threw behind Alqeda this is nothing. Big F*ing deal, they're bailing out people who won't be prosecuted anyway. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE REPEAL OF THE PATRIOT ACT DUDE! OBAMA, NANCY PELOSI, AND HARRY REID ALL DEMOCRATS RE-UPPED IT!!!
OWS has no party affiliation, so who cares about your hate for the Democratic Party. Protesters who have been victims of police brutality are being well represented, regardless of what FOX news tell you to think. ALSO: I'M REALLY HAPPY THAT YOU FOUND THE CAPS KEY TOO.
Hass Hass Hass Wie Noch Nie
ALL COPS ARE BASTARDS
ACAB
Hass Hass Hass Wie Noch Nie
ALL COPS ARE BASTARDS
ACAB
solidarity from switzerland
Koch Bros. trolls, cat got your tongue?
*crickets* from conservatrolls...
This is obviously a use of excessive force by the police. Unfortunately, it happens every day. The reason many are incensed here is that they identify with the protesters.
Let the legal process run its course. Justice will be done as it (usually) is.
Yes, as it has been done to the raping monsters that brought this economic disaster upon us. ROFLMAO Enjoy your little world Publius. When they farm you into a concentration camp, perhaps you will remember your fear to protest.
You need to read before you respond, Pubiclius. You don't have any idea what you're talking about.
You continue to worry about my reading comprehension skills, Publius, and I'll send you a sympathy note when you're incarcerated and getting ass fucked by some nazi guard.
ROFLMFAO Publius pwned!
Miami.
For another perspective on this "brutal" incident. http://youtu.be/WO4406KJQMc
People are clawing to have something to "fight the man". Wake up.
It took me forever to come up with another angle to troll...and this was the best I could do.
So i guess the "there are always more sides to a story" thing doesn't apply when your dogma gets in the way. That is great. Despite what you think, being a narrowminded radical on either side is the greatest failing to our rational humanity.
The video clearly shows them being asked to disperse and are warned of the imminent spraying. They are posers who take glee from being the flavor of the week in "fight the power protests"
This is not a big deal.
I have no idea what the 1st and 4th amendment covers.