The actions of the UCD campus police are absolutely appalling. And happening only a week after similar events took place at UC Berkeley.
Taken moments before peaceful protestors were pepper-sprayed. (Credit Brian Nguyen)
Campus police (Lt. John Pike) casually pepper spray a group of Occupy Davis students who are sitting on the ground in protest.
UC Davis Police Chief Annette Spicuzza responded to the incident by stating that she is “very proud.”
“Police used the pepper spray after they were surrounded… There was no way out of that circle… They were cutting the officers off from their support. It’s a very volatile situation.”
Please take a look at the first picture above and then the second. Doesn’t seem like he had much trouble getting out to pepper spray them. I understand that photographs and videos can’t necessarily capture the whole story. There very well could have been other protestors, outside of those linking arms, posing a threat to the officers. But why pepper-spray the group that displayed mere civil disobedience? Forcing them them to open their mouth and spraying down their throats? Downright cowards.
This all started when Chancellor Linda Katehi called the police to break up peaceful protests after they set camp and now many are asking for her immediate resignation.
Students are standing outside the building where Chancellor Linda Katehi gave her conference on the matter over two hours ago, waiting for her exit. They’re chanting periodically “We’re not going to harm you, we won’t touch you, we won’t touch your property.“
She just left the building. Hundreds of students sat in silence, forming a path for her.
While I don’t believe Chancellor Katehi is completely blameless, doesn’t it make more sense to go after Lieutenant John Pike and UCD Police Chief Annette Spicuzza for their resignation? Katehi didn’t ask for things to unfold the way they did, whereas Spicuzza made it clear that she stands behind the officer’s actions and said it had to be done. There is no remorse.
This goes beyond the occupy movement. Whether you agree with it or not, such police brutality should never be tolerated. It seems as if they are trying to oppress people from exercising their basic constitutional rights. It’s disheartening to imagine that attending a protest, no matter how peaceful, can potentially escalate to such inhumane brutality.
“First they came for the communists, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists,and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews,and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Jew.
Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.”
Speak up. These officers are suppose to serve and protect the community, not attack them. The worst part, for me, is that they’ll probably get away with it. They’ll probably get a slap on their wrist and be on their way. I love justice, so I won’t stand for this.
[EDIT]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=CZ0t9ez_EGI
While I can’t verify if this is the correct clip, as I am also fasting youtube, it’s supposedly of Chancellor Katehi walking through the protestors after a conference, as mentioned above.
And I can’t help but feel bad for the woman. Setting tents on the Quad is against UCD policy and she asked for the assistance of the campus police only to remedy the situation. The people who chose that course of action to should have to bear the consequences — which does not necessarily point to her, but to the lieutenant and chief of police. But who knows what the chancellor might have said behind closed doors. I’m just waiting come Monday when she addresses the students.
