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Police at UC Davis pepper spray faces/mouths of peaceful student protesters

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L

low-G

Member
What are the odds all those kids are more wealthy than the cop that sprayed them?

There are probably a billion statements you could make there, but what an odd paradigm.
 
E

Escape Goat

Member
neutralgamer02 said:
They are protesting income inequality. I think that is pretty clear to anyone who is genuinely interested in knowing.
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Yeah, I get that but I don't know what change they are advocating. Or do they just want people to know they're upset and let them figure out how to solve the inequality.
 
statham

statham

Member
Jenga said:
why just the other day i got pepper sprayed for not returning a head-nod to a passing police officer
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yep, I flashed an oncoming car to let them know of a speed-trap ahead. The cop pulled me over, pepper sprayed me and let me be on my way.
 
O

outunderthestars

Banned
statham said:
The horror!
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While it is a minor offense, the police gave them multiple warnings to leave and they refused. I don't feel sorry for them at all.

If they really wanted to create change they could be doing something more useful than blocking a sidewalk and camera whoring.

That time could be better spent helping to create and run programs that actually create social change. They could be volunteering at soup kitchens, rehab centers, or job training facilities.


But that requires actual effort. It's much easier to just sit down and thrown a tantrum because the world isn't the way they want it to be.
 
B

bob page

Member
outunderthestars said:
If they really wanted to create change they could be doing something more useful than blocking a sidewalk and camera whoring.



But that requires actual effort. It's much easier to just sit down and thrown a tantrum because the world isn't the way they want it to be.
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Tell that to this guy:

tiananmen-square-3132k.jpg


Sorry man, you're pretty clueless.
 
ReBurn

ReBurn

Gold Member
bob page said:
You think there could be, but there aren't. Stop using hypotheticals. Browse Youtube for more videos, there were tons of people filming the entire protest.
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Well, the right to protest is a hypothetical as well since there is no explicit right to do so. It is a perceived human right that is generally accepted and it stems from other civil and human rights, mainly the right to peaceably assemble and freedom of speech. Both the right to assemble and freedom of speech are limited by government. You can be ejected from private property, and you can be sued for slander and libel. thre is an expectation that rights will be exercised responsibly.

Now, with that said, these folks weren't hurting anyone where they were. This protest didn't appear to be civil disobedience. Were they asked by the university to leave, but didn't? What prompted the police to show up to begin with?
 
D

dudeguy24

Member
I'm a student at UC Davis and I happened to be walking by the quad (where this took place) when it happened. I'd never seen so many cops and cop cars in my life (must've been at least 15-20 of the cars).

From my understanding, these students weren't part of the OWS, but they were protesting a potential 80% tuition hike (something like that) over the next four years. It is also my understanding that camping in the quad is against University policy and that they had violated this policy over the entire weekend, and that's why they got forced out.
 
B

bob page

Member
ReBurn said:
Now, with that said, these folks weren't hurting anyone where they were. This protest didn't appear to be civil disobedience. Were they asked by the university to leave, but didn't? What prompted the police to show up to begin with?
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Here ya go:
"The UC Davis students were peacefully protesting on the quad," wrote one student who took videos in an email to The Huffington Post. The filmmaker, a senior, asked that his name not be used for fear of retribution by campus authorities. "The cop gave them 3 minutes to disperse before he said they would come and disturb the protest. The main objective for them was removing the tents. ... The students did have a right to be on campus, they were assembling peacefully and the campus was open at the time."

At one point, one of the riot cops ambles over to the seated line and asks one of the students a question. The student replies, "We're sitting here."

The police officer then returns to his position with the other officers. He also turns his back on the seated students, as does at least one other officer. They show no fear that the students might turn violent or threatening. The first cop talks on his radio for a while.


After a few "mic checks" and few more chants, a cop goes back to the seated students. The student asks, "You're gonna shoot me for sitting here? You're shooting us for sitting here?"

Roughly a minute later, the officer can be seen shaking the pepper spray canister as the gathered students start shouting, "Don't shoot your children!"

As the officer began spraying the group of students, onlookers screamed, "Don't do it! Don't you do it!"
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dudeguy24 said:
I'm a student at UC Davis and I happened to be walking by the quad (where this took place) when it happened. I'd never seen so many cops and cop cars in my life (must've been at least 15-20 of the cars).

From my understanding, these students weren't part of the OWS, but they were protesting a potential 80% tuition hike (something like that) over the next four years. It is also my understanding that camping in the quad is against University policy and that they had violated this policy over the entire weekend, and that's why they got forced out.
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Yeah, the cops were called in because the tents needed to be taken away. These students sitting there had no tents with them, though, nor were tents blocking the sidewalk.
 
W

whitehawk

Banned
Zhengi said:
How about a little context next time? I looked at the picture and thought that the students were already under arrest and the police guy was pepper spraying them regardless. After watching the video and realizing the students are sitting there in protest and not moving, it doesn't have the same impact on me.



Out of curiosity, how are they not blocking anything if they refuse to move from the sidewalk? And how do you know they are doing nothing unlawful?
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It's a fucking sidewalk, not a road. You can walk around them.
 
A

Alpha-Bromega

Member
dudeguy24 said:
I'm a student at UC Davis and I happened to be walking by the quad (where this took place) when it happened. I'd never seen so many cops and cop cars in my life (must've been at least 15-20 of the cars).

From my understanding, these students weren't part of the OWS, but they were protesting a potential 80% tuition hike (something like that) over the next four years. It is also my understanding that camping in the quad is against University policy and that they had violated this policy over the entire weekend, and that's why they got forced out.
Click to expand...

holy fuck
 
ReBurn

ReBurn

Gold Member
Ugh. I can see the police removing the tents and campers if they were directed to do so by the campus administration. But the pepper spray does appear to be too much. That was poor judgment by the officer and he should be held responsible.
 
D

dudeguy24

Member
bob page said:
Here ya go:




Yeah, the cops were called in because the tents needed to be taken away. These students sitting there had no tents with them, though, nor were tents blocking the sidewalk.
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I definitely still saw a lot of tents when I walked by; this was only a few minutes before the pepper spraying started.
 
K

Kurdel

Banned
This is clearly the actions of a clueless jackass, not widespread institutionalized response to peaceful protesters. People are really overreacting to this, it's really ridiculous.

What I hope this does bring, is widespread insitutionalized guidelines that respect people's rights and avoids a repeat of this situation.
 
D

daycru

Member
Should be a nice wake up call to any of these kids who feel they're "a part" of their university. They're dollar signs, not people. I always WTF when I get letters from mine asking for donation money, why don't I send Wal-Mart a check while I'm at it?
 
M

Mordeccai

Member
Pepper spray is nothing to sneeze at either, some people can react pretty violently to that stuff. I'm pretty sure legally a police force is required to have medical personnel on hand at any time they would use the stuff, just because the effects it has on people vary from mild irritation to crippling pain.

Cops have been pulling too much bullshit lately. Even in my town they've begun to piss me off more.
 
B

badcrumble

Member
Pepper spray isn't a 'military' tool, but it's supposed to be used to pacify a threat. NOT for punitive purposes. In this situation pepper spray was clearly deployed as a punitive weapon (which is, essentially, cruel and unusual punishment) - the students were already self-pacified, obviously.
 
entremet

entremet

Member
People are defending this? Even the school administration is looking into this. This situaton was not the qwelling of a violent protest. Kids were peacefully sitting on the sidewalk. C'mon, now.
 
E

Ether_Snake

安安安安安安安安安安安安安安安
ITT: Lazy Gaffers who think they are above the average joe and who never protested in their lives and never will stand up to anything forget people have a right protest, while arguing in some gaming thread and Link's hair color.
 
B

bluemax

Banned
I feel like everyone focusing on the cops weight is totally undermining whatever positions they are trying to take.
 
B

bob page

Member
Here's an interview with one of the people who was pepper sprayed & quotes from the officer:

http://boingboing.net/2011/11/20/ucdeyetwitness.html

"Don't worry, I'm going to spray these kids down."
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He used military grade pepper spray on us. It's supposed to be used at a minimum of 15 feet. But he sprayed us at point blank range
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Chancellor Katehi agreed to let us waive the "no camping on campus" policy that night, and allowed us to stay there.
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B

Byakuya769

Member
badcrumble said:
Pepper spray isn't a 'military' tool, but it's supposed to be used to pacify a threat. NOT for punitive purposes. In this situation pepper spray was clearly deployed as a punitive weapon (which is, essentially, cruel and unusual punishment) - the students were already self-pacified, obviously.
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Cartman's "respect my athoritah" often seems to ring truer than it should. Too many officers believe they have a carte blanche ability to direct citizens in any way they want to, despite lacking a legal basis.
 
A

Alpha-Bromega

Member
entrement said:
People are defending this? Even the school administration is looking into this. This situaton was not the qwelling of a violent protest. Kids were peacefully sitting on the sidewalk. C'mon, now.
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people defended people almost dying from rubber bullets in the OWS thread. it's a crazy world
 
F

Foxy Fox 39

Banned
Goggles (+5 defense against pepper spray)
Extra Clothing (+2 defense against rubber bullets)
Rubber Jacket (+2 defense against taser)

If I protest, I go prepared.
 
L

Liu Kang Baking A Pie

Member
outunderthestars said:
If they really wanted to create change they could be doing something more useful than blocking a sidewalk and camera whoring.
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I'm glad the Tiananmen Square picture was already posted in response to this. Holy shit, dude.

Seeing as how their treatment has now become worldwide news, I'd say they did something to create change.

outunderthestars said:
That time could be better spent helping to create and run programs that actually create social change. They could be volunteering at soup kitchens, rehab centers, or job training facilities.
Click to expand...
What does this have to do with protesting against the richest 400 Americans and their companies?
 
K

Kinyou

Member
bob page said:
Clearly, this has evolved past the realm of the OWS movement.

I was honestly pretty sickened when I saw this last night, and everyone really needs to see this video.

From what I've gathered from the articles I've read: students were peacefully protesting on the UC Davis campus when police were called in to monitor the situation. A group of students were sitting on the ground with arms linked together as a form of silent protest. The cops didn't like that for some reason and tried to break them up, and when they didn't, they unloaded a crap load of pepper spray into the faces of the group. When they still sat on the group, the cops dried dragging them apart, but kept spraying when it was ineffective.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmJmmnMkuEM&feature=youtu.be
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6AdDLhPwpp4

What is happening to America?
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The way the guy holds the pepper spray triumphantly up into the air before he begins to spray is just pathetic.
 
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