Thread: An interesting twist in the UC Davis pepper spray incident

Originally Posted by MattInFla

UC Davis Student Admits Protesters Surrounded Cops and Wouldn't Let Them Leave | MRCTV

One of the protestors who was sprayed was interviewed, and she provided this account:



If this is true - and it is a big if - does this change your view of what happened?

Not really. If the kids did in fact surround the cops and sat down that may have been the wrong thing to do. However the cops could have stepped over or through them. I'd have to question why only 2 cops felt the need to use pepper spray and the other riot dressed cops did nothing. Just doesn't make sense too me.

Originally Posted by MattInFla

UC Davis Student Admits Protesters Surrounded Cops and Wouldn't Let Them Leave | MRCTV

One of the protestors who was sprayed was interviewed, and she provided this account:



If this is true - and it is a big if - does this change your view of what happened?

Oh yes indeed, a girl on the ground with her head down would induce enough fear in a riot clad policeman to justify the use of pepper spray....they should be praised for not using their glocks....

Not really. Barring someones way by sitting on the ground is not a hostile or threatening action that warrants deploying pepper spray.

How dare these criminals deliberately restrict the movement of the storm troopers. Don't they respect authoritah?

The small group of cops who were ostensibly trying to leave were actually behind the protesters who had their backs to them. The now infamous cop who pepper sprayed them was on the other side along with many other cops and sprayed them in the face. One of the cops who was trying to pepper spray from the other side realized that doing so on their backs had little effect, so he simply moved to the other side of the supposedly impenetrable barrier before also spraying them in the face.

This was actually part of a demonstration aimed against the chancellor the previous night. They had encircled the building where she was speaking with similar protesters 3 blocks long and held a silent demonstration while forcing her to walk past them all to get to her car.

Here is the entire interview which makes all this much clearer than the segment taken out of context:

UC Davis Student Describes Pepper Spray Attack on Occupy Campus Protesters

Originally Posted by Formaldehyde

How dare these criminals deliberately restrict the movement of the storm troopers. Don't they respect authoritah?

By what right would the protestors restrist anyone's movement?

Hey, would you want to walk through urine-soaked and feces-covered potheads?

Originally Posted by MattInFla

By what right would the protestors restrist anyone's movement?

It's called civil disobedience. It is used in virtually all free and open democratic societies without armed thugs threatening the health and well being of those who practice it.

Did y'all miss this in the OP????????

...we had encircled them, and they were trying to leave, and they were trying to clear a path. And so, we sat down, linked arms, and said that if they wanted to clear the path, they would have to go through us.

They invited the pepper spray and now they want to piss and moan about it. How stupid.

It appeared to me that they wanted to get pepper sprayed and arrested.

Originally Posted by MattInFla

By what right would the protestors restrist anyone's movement?

ahoy MattLarson,

*sits ondeck and ponders the evidence*

a review 'o the video shows a row 'o protesters on the right side 'o yer screen....a row, not a circle.

them policy swabbys were walkin' 'round and movin' freely, in fact thar be open space around the seated protesters....and in the end, them police exit to the left...and thar be a lane fer retreat available from the beginnin' to the end 'o the video.

a fair review 'o the video also doesn't make a credible case that the officers on the scene were bein' restrained or corraled in by the row 'o seated student protesters.

*nod nod*

now, lemme asks ye two questions matey. based on yer review 'o the tape, doth ye feel that pepper sprayin' 'o the students was the proper measured response?

me second question would be this...if these protesters had been senior citizens doin' the same thing them students were doin', do ye think that the police fella woulda pepper sprayed'm?

- MeadHallPirate

Originally Posted by Mrs. M

They invited the pepper spray and now they want to piss and moan about it. How stupid.

Nope. They "invited" being arrested for engaging in non-violent civil disobedience. Being pepper sprayed as well was a clear and unnecessary abuse of power.

It is amazing how many people don't seem to understand this basic means of protest in a country which claims to be a free and open democracy. Henry David Thoreau's book is an excellent primer.

But the storm troopers did indeed act quite stupidly, and hopefully they will eventually pay the proper price for that idiocy. It appears now that they will given how much pressure has been put on the chancellor to resign as well for the absurd way she initially reacted. She will likely have to fire a number of them if she hopes to keep her own job.

Originally Posted by MattInFla

UC Davis Student Admits Protesters Surrounded Cops and Wouldn't Let Them Leave | MRCTV

One of the protestors who was sprayed was interviewed, and she provided this account:



If this is true - and it is a big if - does this change your view of what happened?

Not in any way whatsoever. The officers could have just left. The gave in to their instinct to "win". All they did was assault unarmed people just sitting there. It was stupid.

These are the kind of people that think cops are pigs. Of course they knew they would be pepper sprayed. Did you think it was coincidence that every time the police are involved with these protests there are cameras at every angle? Its part of the insurrection people. Cause chaos and provoke a response. They think it makes them more sympathetic to the people. Of course the people just think they are fucking idiots for starting it in the first place but what can you expect from a bunch of mindless brainwashed idiots.