[Sterm26]

Note the large award. That's not even enough to buy a good stick of deodorant.

[dirtboy]

A jury awarded eight plaintiffs $1 each.

That's the jury's way of saying that what law enforcement did may have been illegal, but the jury was glad it happened anyway.

[Spok]

"We've been trying all along to get a statement that this was illegal. It's a positive step toward people treating each other decently."

Does that mean the enviro-whacko's will quit spiking trees and starting fires?

[dead]

I have no idea what the point of walking up to protestors and dabbing their eyes with pepper spray was. Sounds like the cops just had some pepper spray and didn't know what else to do with it.

I think they each deserved a dollar in compensation. In fact, I would have given them five dollars each, so they could each get a sandwich for their troubles.

[lunarville]

You get paid what you're worth...

[Rodney King]

I would have given them more than a dollar each. I would have ordered that the police departments pay for a nice bath and a haircut for each of them.

[lunarville]

If pepper spray is out, can you still use mace and tear gas?

[lepton]

"They did the right thing," said Terri Slanetz, a 42-year-old naturalist from Oakland. "We've been trying all along to get a statement that this was illegal. It's a positive step toward people treating each other decently."

[...]

The protesters argued the pepper spray was used to illegally punish and intimidate them for chaining themselves together and making it difficult for authorities to arrest them.

Too bad they don't try to reconcile those two statements.

[muir_redwoods]

More fair would be to have the cops pay the dollar. And then have the cops eyes daubed with pepper spray. Fair is fair, the cops broke the law too.

[SkyDancer]

I don't see how someone would just sit still while pepper spray is daubed in their eyes with a Q-tip? I've seen the pictures of the so-call application. I did appear that the eyes were most likely being daubed with an antidote for the stinging produced by the spray. They were just sitting there with their heads raised as someone wearing surgical gloves (EMT?) was applying something to the eye.

[jtminton]

I may be wrong, but I think that if ANY money is awarded, the plaintiffs can sue for attorney's fees. If that's the case, it will still cost the cops $$.

[yarddog]

I despise these eco-trash nuts as much, in fact more than just about anyone, but if they were not fighting or forcefully resisting, then I would have awarded them maybe $100 each for actual damages, and a lot more for punitive.

Police do not have the right to torture non-violent protestors, and never should have that authority.

[tumblindice]

Mmmmmmmm, pepper-spray . . . .

[hattend]

"The plaintiffs were never in it for the money. They were in it for the principle," attorney Tony Serra said.

I hope they pay you in "priciple", Tony.

[Alia]

No, no, no, no, NO!

There are important FACTS being left out of this story, and the *))(*(^ person who wrote this -- knows the facts are not being fully told.

The protestors STORMED Frank Riggs' office -Shouting, screaming, and refused to leave after they were repeatedly, and civilly asked to leave or, be civil. They continued to harangue, heckle, scream.

I didn't think the pepper spray was inappropriate. These protestors stormed, like wild animals. They were not members of the "civil society" when they did what they did.

[longtermmemmory]

IOW do not swab, use a large hose to spray with intense force.

[Nebr FAL owner]

Next time the cops should use the old stand-by of a couple of tube socks & a bar of soap . Then they can claim they were only trying to improve the standard of hygiene amongst the cretin's