I was compelled by the depth of emotions this incident brought out in people, both for those involved, and for those who have observed it. I have compiled a few videos here to get a more comprehensive, contextual view of the event than just the pepper spraying itself. I have also done this to encourage discussion in the comments section. Who is at fault? Is anybody at fault? What does this say about police? What does this say about the occupy movement?
After watching this videos, I have to concur that there is a lot more to the incident than what is typically spread around. One post I had read made it sound like a couple Police officers had arrived at the scene and immediately started pepper spraying people. To that extent I can understand the emotional outcry of injustice done by the Police.
ReplyDeleteHowever, after reviewing the footage, I cannot say I agree with that assessment. If the university policy that was quoted was factual in regards to specifying legal gatherings on campus, then the University was well within it's rights to call upon the Police to break up the protest.
I did notice that before the Police even arrived and gave the students the warnings, that one individual was encouraging others to seemingly provoke the Police (or at least had an idea that provocation was going to happen). To this extent, I see the protesters in more of a bad light than the Police.
The Police provided the policy that was being broken, provided warnings (three times according to the one officer) and after giving multiple warnings moved into the arrests like they said they would. The students refusing arrests by linking arms had it coming when it came to the pepper spray (and that was probably the least brutal option the Police had considering the paintball guns and battons they had on them).
When it comes down to it, I see more abuse by the students (verbal abuse and resisting the arrests physically) than the Police. The Police stated their intentions and gave the opportunity for the students to break up. The students simply refused and heckled/provoked the Police in the process.
I should also add that until the pepper spray, different students that I could hear in the background made it sound like they were enjoying a game.