Confronting photographs of peaceful protesters pepper sprayed at the University of California in Davis went viral across the world last week. Even more confronting is this fascinating video account of the event, pieced together from four different perspectives.
Daily Mail
Elsewhere
Policy
Partners
Independent news, blogs and commentary on politics, media, business, the environment and life.
Copyright © 2012 Private Media Pty Ltd, Publishers of Crikey. All Rights Reserved.
Web development by Valegro
Editor: Jason Whittaker
Publisher: Eric Beecher
Political Correspondent: Bernard Keane
Level 6, 22 William St, Melbourne, 3000
Ph: 1800 985 502
Fax: (03) 8623 9975
30 Comments
O! say can you see by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
O! we cab see. O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave? But sure doesn’t look like free or particularly brave not one bit with the shake well before use. And for the last few years I thought the ol’USA was trying to shack the global thug mojo. Nah now there doing it at home.
Free and Brave: Discuss
Thank goodness they were able to save that pathway from people sitting on it.
At least the enforcers had the courage to wear their badge. The local cops hide in anonymity. Our local cops will carry out the violence and agression but hide from consequences
I wonder how long it will be before they start shooting these protesters, after all they cant be allowed to alter the power balance, of the corporate government.
Its been done before.
I hope the cops realize that one day these protesters may very well be elected officials and as such their bosses. A good example would be Peter Beattie as a student, baton charged by the Queensland Police and a few years later their boss ie. the Premier of Queensland.
Having viewed the video, it would appear that the protestors got what they wanted - publicity to match their self-centred sense of self-importance. Anarchists confronting power structures need to understand that they need to accept the consequences of their behaviour. Whilst personally I would not have used pepper spray on the individuals concerned we do not know the full circumstances surrounding the situation, the aims of the protesters, or their actions leading up to the situation. What is obvious is that they were intent on confrontation and they got what they were looking for.
Can the source of these videos be confirmed? Looks a lot like what’s coming out of Syria to me.
When I read Whistleblower’s post, I wonder how much historical knowledge he has. Does he know the history of the Chartists, what they went through, the arrant nonsense written about them at the time (perhaps Whistleblower’s forebears), what they achieved, why they had no alternative route to refor?. Does Whistleblower know how and why society has evolved the way it has? Does he realise he lives in a society such as ours because of the brave actions of people like the students in this video?
We could see the students were “intent on confrontation”; just look at the way they were sitting down. One of them had his legs crossed.
Not sure if I am more angry with Whistleblower or the campus police. At least the campus police have been put in their place.
Pity we don’t have more politicians with the strong convictions of these protesters. Instead we have party hacks who tow the party line, irrespective of personal views.
The protesters can be thankful its not 1970 at Kent State University when the national guard opened fire killing 4 students and injuring many more during a protest against the war in Vietnam.
Ah, Whistleblower, and I suppose the people of Selma, Alabama also deserved (and wanted!) the fire hoses turned on them.
Fortunately, your point of view is not shared by the President of the UC system:
http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/article/26702
So, please be quiet now. You are in no position to judge motives or intent.
Thanks Harry, I feel the same way. What a tosser whistleblower is.
Wistleblower is merely a law-abiding citizen… who will abide by any law thrown his/her way (even the ones that contradict the other ones)…
And, Whistleblower, anarchism is a formal political ideology (as opposed to the tripe bandied around in common parlance).
Just wait until you hear the spin from Faux Neews:
http://gawker.com/5861688/its-a-food-product-essentially-fox-news-starts-spinning-pepper-spray-cops
She’s resisting arrest cause she moved her arm away! Brilliant!
It’s always nice to see kids doing their coming of age thingy. You know, taking part in demos, confronting police, getting arrested. All good student activity to put in the scrap book. Peter remembers Beattie and his adventures.
What was the demo about again?
The mighty USA has form with protestors. Google ‘the Bonus Army’: in 1932 General Douglas MacArthur led troops and tanks to clear out an encampment in Washington DC of 10,000 WWI veterans, wives and children. The veterans were protesting they still had not been paid a bonus promised by the US govt for duty during the war (yes, the 1914-18 war, it was now 1932). The bonus was small but it was the height of the Depression and every dollar counted. There were a handful of deaths as they were routed, treated like the enemy and sent packing.
Behold the star spangled banner, glory glory etc.
@ Zut - they actually charged through with sabres on horseback as well. Not forgetting of course what has happened to vets from Korea to the current invasions of Afghanistan & Iraq - chewed up spat out and forgotten…
@ Whistleblower - yeah right f-wit # 1
@ David Hand - maybe if you looked beyond your ignorant self righteousness you might learn a thing or two. f-wit # 2
gutless coppers……acab
Alex,
Thanks for your input.
Plus ca bloody change, viz Zut & AlexB.
And yours David.. stand for nothing fall for anything..
@ AR, oui Monsieur, évidemment vous voulez dire l’état et la manière qu’il répond avec la violence contre les personnes paisibles ?
AlexB - mai oui.
@Alexandre Berkman
Comme un branleur pensez-vous que vous ajoutez une valeur quelconque par vous exprimer en français?
Oh whistleblower -takes one to know one, eh!
@ whistleblower - I love the line “we do not know the full circumstances surrounding the situation”. I’m sure you’d say a woman that was raped quite possibly contributed to her attack by wearing provocative clothing. yeah right, ggf.
@AR
Si vous devez insister sur la pratique puériles de communiquer en français, au moins obtenir votre grammaire correcte. Le mot anglais, “but” est traduit correctement comme mais pas des mtheaï qui est le mot français pour le mois de “May” en anglais.
@Alexander Berkman
Individuals who attribute perverted logic to others without substantiation should take a close look in a mirror. From viewing the video, it was quite clear that unless the protesters moved they were going to be sprayed. Furthermore those who knew they were going to be sprayed were taking preventative action so they understood the consequences. We don’t know the circumstances under which this confrontation occurred, and such action against protesters is not an action that I would personally condone. They were however given plenty ofopportunity to move and chose not to do so, preferring a form of martyrdom, and that was their personal choice.
A personal decision to place oneself in a position of significant risk is a personal choice where the individual concerned should take account of the potential consequences. The difference here is that rape is illegal, and presumably the action of police authorities was in all probability sanctioned by some form of statute or regulation. You should be able to understand the distinction without resorting to ad hominem attacks.
whitless - typo cul.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2011/11/22/pregnant-occupy-seattle-protester-has-miscarriage-after-being-pepper-sprayed-by-police/
Having read the article I am none the wiser. I would however have some doubts about the sanity of a woman climbing to be three months pregnant going to a protest meeting where violence was a distinct possibility. The absence of corroborating evidence as to the claimed miscarriage is also problematic.
I’d stay away from climbing too… especially if the goal of such was ‘three months pregnancy’.
Thanks Mick, insert “claiming” for “climbing” and all is revealed.
Whistleblower, you say “presumably the action of police authorities was in all probability sanctioned by some form of statute or regulation”. It probably was so sanctioned, but that does not justify it. Methinks you have difficulty with the concept of peaceful demonstrations and disobedience. Perhaps if you google Ghandi you would learn more about it.
Even the university’s Chancellor (may not be the correct title) was ashamed at the presumably legally sanctioned force. “Punishment fitting the crime” is another concept you should consider.
It’s disappointing when someone with your intellectual skill, who has the ability to log in here, which even involves supplying a password, is unable to comprehend.