Posted on 11/19/2011 2:52:50 PM PST by NetLiberty
A non-violent protest at UC Davis turned chaotic Friday afternoon as police pepper-sprayed a group of students sitting on the ground. Videos shot at the scene show a policeman walking up to the protesters, pulling out his can of pepper spray to display to the crowd, and liberally sweeping the protesters with the stinging substance. Many students had their heads down, but at least one demonstrator was hit in the face. Other officers then followed suit, spraying many of the Occupiers who appeared to be sitting in a circle with their arms linked. By midday Saturday, videos of the showdown were circulating the Internet.
SOURCE VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmJmmnMkuEM&feature=player_embedded
(Excerpt) Read more at newsfeed.time.com ...
Its also important to note that when police use pepper spray, they get a pretty healthy dose too. They aren’t doing it for kicks.
Good Point!
IOW, you can't prove it because you are being untruthful... Just as I suspected.
I’ve been 100 feet away or more when it was used and it was pretty bad at that distance.
Some cops were surrounded. That is why some were on one side of the protesters, and some on the other. Thats how a circle works.
And there were a hell of a lot more of the occutards than cops. No, the cops didnt have them surrounded. The cops were and rather peacefully fought their way out.
“it seems that the use of the spray right off the bat is what got the rest of the crowd (mainly lookie-loos with their cameras) riled up”
Right off the bat? Yeah,, it was 10 seconds into the video, and NOTHING happened before that for a few hours. LOL
Strong was attacked by the Viking Kitty, he’s no longer with us.
Aw, Bullshit! With people as pathetic as those dumb-asses, how long do you think that any society could survive. The police put-up with their bullshit for just so long and finally declared and unlawful assembly (it’s in the penal code). When they didn’t move, (after doubtless numerous warnings), the police did the only thing they could do to get them to comply(without REALLY harming them)! When you police-haters want to protest police brutality, maybe you should take your outrage to the streets of Damascus!
Viking kitty,,,good
Not so strong after all apparently.
However, you indicated that the people that were pepper sprayed had attacked cops.
Why the furor? Wasn’t the pepper spray strong enough? Did they not follow up with billy clubs? What?
Yep, and you can see from the video that at least part of the claims that are floating around on the Internet and Twitter- that the cops ran in and sprayed it “directly in their faces” are untrue: Once the cop (in riot gear) held up the can, the protestors all bowed their heads- as any trained activist protestor would know to do- and then the cop started spraying the tops of their heads after they did.
(I’d just like to know more about the complete facts of what was occurring before deciding one way or the other on this).
I’ve been 100 feet away or more when it was used and it was pretty bad at that distance.
So the police chose a method that would not just inflict pain on the demonstrators but also on themselves because maybe they didn’t want to hurt them? Sir, you have singlehandedly turned this into the police being the good guys and trying not to inflict physical harm on these folks at their own expense. ... sending you mad props!!!!
At first glance if one does not get the context it certainlly seems so. However the crowd had been given a lawful order to disperse and vacate the area. When they refuse that order the police have to take action to clear them out of the area. The methods the police have to accomplish this are rather limited and the first concern must be for the safety of not just the police but the demonstrators as well.
It is simply too dangerous with a very high likelyhood of escalation for the police to try and physically remove the demonstrators. Tear gas is not practical as it can too easily effect bystanders. Pepper spray is non lethal and can be directed against an individual. It also limits the chances of escalation from the sprayed individual. It also is less likely to result in claims of severe injury by the police.
Mounted police might have come in handy.
“When the OWSies choose to ignore the lawful orders of law enforcement then pepper spray is on the way.”
After that, a wood shampoo and a rinse...
:-)
Please, why the drama? So i characterized marxist hippies trying to physically interfere with cops as “attacking”,,.
The point remains that whatever you label the hippies as doing, TEA was NOT doing it in the last few years, and as a result, was never pepper sprayed.
Bad behavoir has consequences. A ‘teachable” moment for most of these fleas, no problem here.
The protesters were in repeated violation of lawful orders to allow the general public to pass in a public right of way unimpeded.
The protesters were a threat to the safety of the general public in a public right of way.
The protesters refused to disperse and resisted arrest.
At what level of criminal behavior would you allow the cops to use pepper spray to control the criminals?
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