Wow

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Sun Nov 20, 2011 11:17 am

One day after pepper-spraying, UC Davis students silently, peacefully confront Chancellor Katehi - Boing Boing

UC Davis Chancellor Katehi walks to car amidst protesters - YouTube!

In case you are wondering what it is all about

California university launches inquiry into pepper spray of protesters - CNN.com

If this happened in iran or Egypt it would be all over the news with loud praise heaped on the students. What an effective protest Silence sometimes says more than words ever could.

Snooz · Post by **Snooz** » Sun Nov 20, 2011 11:25 am

I finally just watched the video. They literally hosed those students down with pepper spray for doing nothing but kneeling peacefully and quietly on the ground. In Seattle, they managed to pepper spray a pregnant woman and an 84 year old woman while subduing "rowdy protesters." What pisses me off are the people claiming all the OWS marchers are dirty, unemployed and drug addled.

Lon · Post by **Lon** » Sun Nov 20, 2011 11:37 am

All this activity is happening right down the road from where I live. Middle daughter is an alum of UC Davis.

Post by **Bryn Mawr** » Sun Nov 20, 2011 3:39 pm

That was an obscenity - the police officer involved should be jailed for assault at the very least.

There was no threat involved, he was not in clear and imminent danger.

There was no violence involved, there was no suggestion that the situation would escalate, there was no risk of damage to property ...

On what grounds can you justify his actions?

Accountable · Post by **Accountable** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 9:59 am

None. And yet people praise his actions.

YZGI · Post by **YZGI** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 10:17 am

Wow, we are getting closer and closer to a police state.

Post by **LarsMac** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 10:23 am

Accountable;1376394 wrote: None. And yet people praise his actions.

WHO did THAT?

YZGI · Post by **YZGI** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 10:51 am

LarsMac;1376399 wrote: WHO did THAT?

Yesterday friends were over watching football, one is a former police captain and now an administator for the States police training facility. I asked him waht he thought about the 85 year old lady getting pepper sprayed. He said "if she had been told too disperse by police(she had) and then been told that if she didn't disperse she would be pepper sprayed (again they did warn) then she deserves to be pepper sprayed."

Post by **LarsMac** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 11:04 am

Davis Police Chief suspended.

UC Davis police chief put on leave after spray incident | Reuters

Post by **LarsMac** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 11:08 am

YZGI;1376402 wrote: Yesterday friends were over watching football, one is a former police captain and now an administator for the States police training facility. I asked him waht he thought about the 85 year old lady getting pepper sprayed. He said "if she had been told too disperse by police(she had) and then been told that if she didn't disperse she would be pepper sprayed (again they did warn) then she deserves to be pepper sprayed."

So, then, if the cops has told the lady that they would beat her with nightsticks and taze her, then they did that when she stood her ground, that would be OK, too?

Or perhaps if they had threatened to shoot her if she stood her ground?

Like in the days when Bull Connor told the blacks that he would gas them and turn the dogs on them if they marched, it was OK, because he warned them. They had it coming.

Yeah, I knew people like that.

Accountable · Post by **Accountable** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 11:16 am

LarsMac;1376399 wrote: WHO did THAT?
I'm discussing this on other forums. I'm getting similar comments to the one Larsmac related.

Here's the whole video of the silent vigil. It's very powerful.

YZGI · Post by **YZGI** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 11:23 am

LarsMac;1376405 wrote: So, then, if the cops has told the lady that they would beat her with nightsticks and taze her, then they did that when she stood her ground, that would be OK, too?

Or perhaps if they had threatened to shoot her if she stood her ground?

Like in the days when Bull Connor told the blacks that he would gas them and turn the dogs on them if they marched, it was OK, because he warned them. They had it coming.

Yeah, I knew people like that.

Yup, we had quite the little argument. I can't wait to ask him about this one.

I think this is the new police mentality, "Mind us or we shoot." They act like they are military in a war zone.

I told him that police should serve the public not the government and he just laughed.

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 11:49 am

YZGI;1376409 wrote: Yup, we had quite the little argument. I can't wait to ask him about this one.

I think this is the new police mentality, "Mind us or we shoot." They act like they are military in a war zone.

I told him that police should serve the public not the government and he just laughed.

I have trouble believing anyone thinks it's justified to pepper spray an octogenarian whatever the provocation. wow again. What would he do if ordered to open fire on unarmed demonstrators?

YZGI · Post by **YZGI** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 12:30 pm

gmc;1376412 wrote: I have trouble believing anyone thinks it's justified to pepper spray an octogenarian whatever the provocation. wow again. What would he do if ordered to open fire on unarmed demonstrators?

I'm going to ask him next time I see him.

Accountable · Post by **Accountable** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 12:32 pm

YZGI;1376409 wrote: Yup, we had quite the little argument. I can't wait to ask him about this one.

I think this is the new police mentality, "Mind us or we shoot." They act like they are military in a war zone.

I told him that police should serve the public not the government and he just laughed.I've known people like that. Generally good people; it's just that they've forgotten (or take for granted) the most basic questions. I tend to irritate these people because I ask why they laugh, which takes them out of their comfort zone of assuming all is right with the world. They usually resent my asking, at least at first.

Post by **LarsMac** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 2:26 pm

gmc;1376412 wrote: I have trouble believing anyone thinks it's justified to pepper spray an octogenarian whatever the provocation. wow again. What would he do if ordered to open fire on unarmed demonstrators?

I don't think you really want to know the answer to that.

I keep telling my grandkids that we are not like Egypt, or Jordan, but everyday I worry that I could be proved wrong.

YZGI · Post by **YZGI** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 2:27 pm

Accountable;1376422 wrote: I've known people like that. Generally good people; it's just that they've forgotten (or take for granted) the most basic questions. I tend to irritate these people because I ask why they laugh, which takes them out of their comfort zone of assuming all is right with the world. They usually resent my asking, at least at first.

I know what you mean. He acted like, since I wasn't part of the brotherhood of cops I had no right to question their actions.

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 2:53 pm

LarsMac;1376434 wrote: I don't think you really want to know the answer to that.

I keep telling my grandkids that we are not like Egypt, or Jordan, but everyday I worry that I could be proved wrong.

There might be some police that would but surely not the vast majority of them. If anything they have common cause with the protesters I would have thought. It's not like the sixties with just the mainstream media setting the agenda. What surprises me is that this is not on our mainstream media - OK it's in a foreign country on an obscure university campus but it is a rather striking form of protest.

Clodhopper · Post by **Clodhopper** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 3:30 pm

This whole process of blindly following orders is very scary. People are very prone to do it, and if taken to extremes - which is very easy to do - it leads to the mentality of concentration camp guards.

What's particularly scary is that almost all of us think that WE at least would not be so blindly stupid. But the Milgram experiments show that in fact almost all of us would, if led to it the right way. YZGI's police friend sounds a fair way down the path.

The best - perhaps the only - defence is to be aware of the process and not to take the first step. Because it seems to be a very slippery slope.