“They had every reason to remove the protestors from the sidewalk. They did not have the right nor the necessity to spray them like bugs in order to punish them. Courts punish. Cops arrest.”
You’re right. I agree with you that this is a dangerous precedent. The police have a duty to arrest these folks. If they actively resist, then force is appropriate.
Arrest every damn one of ‘em, but do not hose them down when they are just sitting there - because next time it may be done for refusing to vote for Obama, or some other ridiculous infraction.
If something happened previously, they should have been not arrested at that time.
“have been not arrested”
Should have been arrested.......
Right! What you do, comes back to you.