Brent Nyitray
Fairlington Blade
Let the mutherfuker burn!
jnc4p
Kevin S. Willis
Michigoose
lmsinca
markinaustin
Arcanaut
novahockey
quarterback
ScottC
yellojkt
Students across the UC campus system are protesting in solidarity with the UC Davis students, all of whom are protesting yet another 9% hike in tuition/fees after a 32% hike in 2009 across the 10 campus university. The image of a police officer emptying a canister of pepper spray directly into the faces of sitting students has caused quite a stir out here.
University of California President Mark G. Yudof today (Nov. 20) announced the actions he is taking in response to recent campus protest issues:
I am appalled by images of University of California students being doused with pepper spray and jabbed with police batons on our campuses.
I intend to do everything in my power as president of this university to protect the rights of our students, faculty and staff to engage in non-violent protest.
Chancellors at the UC Davis and UC Berkeley campuses already have initiated reviews of incidents that occurred on their campuses. I applaud this rapid response and eagerly await the results.
The University of California, however, is a single university with 10 campuses, and the incidents in recent days cry out for a systemwide response.
Therefore I will be taking immediate steps to set that response in motion.
I intend to convene all 10 chancellors, either in person or by telephone, to engage in a full and unfettered discussion about how to ensure proportional law enforcement response to non-violent protest.
To that end, I will be asking the chancellors to forward to me at once all relevant protocols and policies already in place on their individual campuses, as well as those that apply to the engagement of non-campus police agencies through mutual aid agreements.
Further, I already have taken steps to assemble experts and stakeholders to conduct a thorough, far-reaching and urgent assessment of campus police procedures involving use of force, including post-incident review processes.
My intention is not to micromanage our campus police forces. The sworn officers who serve on our campuses are professionals dedicated to the protection of the UC community.
Nor do I wish to micromanage the chancellors. They are the leaders of our campuses and they have my full trust and confidence.
Nonetheless, the recent incidents make clear the time has come to take strong action to recommit to the ideal of peaceful protest.
As I have said before, free speech is part of the DNA of this university, and non-violent protest has long been central to our history. It is a value we must protect with vigilance. I implore students who wish to demonstrate to do so in a peaceful and lawful fashion. I expect campus authorities to honor that right.
Filed under: Uncategorized |
All Things in Moderation 
That a police officer was willing to spray, calmly and professionally, individuals who were sitting on the ground and were clearly not a threat to him or anyone else, speaks volumes, I suspect, and should raise serious questions about the policies the police have apparently adopted.
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Also, first.
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Nathan, I read one first hand account from one of the professors that one student was taken to the hospital because they forced his mouth open and sprayed the stuff down his throat and he was spitting up blood. Egads. I remember being a college student in the late 60's and being manhandled a few times during protests so I guess not much has changed.
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Washington Monthly had a good piece on this on Friday.People don’t hate the police for fighting off aggressors or arresting law breakers. They do hate police for causing pain—be it by dog, fire hose, Taser, or mace—to those who passively resist. And that’s what happened yesterday at U.C. Davis.
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would love to see the rest of the photo. IMO, all the officers that stood there and did nothing are equally at fault and have no business being in law enforcement. strip them of their badges, guns and pensions. all of them.
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I'm beginning to think I was wrong to criticize Occupy for not having specific policy goals. Perhaps the movement raises broad questions that won't be fully addressed by policy solutions. Perhaps I was too quick to try to place them in a category and demand that they ask for specific policies.In addition, maybe it's time to look at the other side and ask those responding to Occupy, and those not responding, some hard questions. I would imagine you could start by asking the university and the police department exactly how it came to be that pepper spraying people who are sitting on the ground is seen to be an acceptable practice.lmsinca, grim. Decidedly grim.
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Any lawsuits filed for this yet?
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NoVA, there was video but as far as I can tell it's been pulled. I don't have time to do a big search but the few places who had it that I know of such as Yahoo news and WSJ online, it's gone now. Not surprising.
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Mark and Judy Yudof were personal friends of mine in the past. They were members of my synagogue in Austin and Judy and I served together on the Board for 3 years. Mark was Dean of the Law School and then Prez of UT before leaving Austin.Mark was a first rate appellate lawyer as well. I would have expected him to intervene here as President of UC. I think he will follow through on his statement.Brian, Mark is originally from Minn. and served as Prez of UMinn for several years, too.
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lms:Several vids are still up at YouTube. Or were the last time I looked.
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