When not to use pepper spray
Via Cosmic Variance.
19 Responses to “When not to use pepper spray”
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julia says:
Can anyone say ‘fascism’?
November 20th, 2011 at 7:48 pm EST -
Violet Socks says:
I like Sean’s write-up of it at Cosmic Variance. Hard to imagine a less volatile or threatening situation for the cops.
Doesn’t that guy look like he’s using bug spray?
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quixote says:
He really does look like he’s using bug spray. The expression — or, no, I mean his complete lack of expression was the first thing that struck me about that awful moment.
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julia says:
Hi everyone,
At Occupy Tucson we had a long discussion about
sexism, with both men and women. It was facilitated by three feminists and everyone got to speak many times. I’d love to write about it – is anyone interested? -
Violet Socks says:
I am! Julia, if you want to do it as a guest post here, just email me.
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Susan says:
It was not quite as shocking as the Rodney King tape except that this guy did it in broad daylight in front of multiple witnesses holding recording devices. He clearly thought that it was perfectly a perfectly legitimate tactic.
That is very frightening.
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julia says:
Thanks, Violet! :)
I’ll write something after Thanksgiving. The more time I spend at Occupy Tucson, the more I see blatant misogyny and male dominance. The Occupy movement, as exciting as it is, is a Men’s movement.
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Nessum says:
Young, white “dude” started a petition to have Chancellor Katehi, female, of UC Davis suspended. None yet calling for Chancellor Birgeneau, male, of UC Berkeley to step down. From post at The New Agenda.
Happy Thanksgiving!
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Sameol says:
Young’s letter is an instant classic, at least he refrained from explicitly describing himself as the one he’s been waiting for. Katehi is now drawing their chest beating because she served on some international advisory committee on Greek academia. I’m sure that the committee’s report doesn’t sound as if it had been written in Paris in 1968, but given the Occupy movement’s seeming affection for Anonymous it would be kind of nice if we could address some of our own issues right alongside finding yet another irredeemably evil woman to blame for all of the world’s problems.
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Sameol says:
Whoops, I meant “Young white dude’s letter.”
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julia says:
One of the most disheartening things about the Occupy movement is watching women participate in their own oppression. I wonder how many women at UC Davis want Chancellor Katehi to step down? I’ve seen the most eloquent and powerful facilitators at Occupy Tucson, all women, align themselves with and give hugs and affection to the very men who often dominate the meetings and override consensus.
The encampment at Occupy Tucson is probably in its last days. The police are showing up every night and giving out tickets with heavy fines and charges. If OT begins again, I want to organize a Women’s Caucus, like they have at Occupy Boston.
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Susan says:
I have received more information about the pepper spraying incident at UC Davis. There is a video that shows that the protesters had, in fact, surrounded the group of police officers, locked arms and refused to allow the officers to move out of the circle. I would consider that an act of violence if it happened to me. If they had “kidnapped” me, they would’ve gotten worse than pepper sprayed.
While I can see taking the involved officers off the street because of the negative publicity, I have to question whether the chief of police would have been suspended if she were male.
The campaign against Linda Katehi does seem to be rooted in sexism, as well.
I’ve supported the Occupy movement from the beginning but I’m disappointed to hear that yet another Occupy group is being dominated by men to the detriment of women.
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Violet Socks says:
There is a video that shows that the protesters had, in fact, surrounded the group of police officers, locked arms and refused to allow the officers to move out of the circle.
But clearly that is not what is going on in the photograph.
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Carmonn says:
I would consider that an act of violence if it happened to me. If they had “kidnapped” me, they would’ve gotten worse than pepper sprayed.
But are you a police officer? Obviously there’s a completely different context when it comes to a random private citizen, who’d have every right to feel threatened. These officers didn’t feel threatened, nothing’s happening here. They’re supposed to be concerned about public safety, not retaliating or using excessive force out of anger.
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Susan says:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.co.....sters.html
Violet, the lieutenant with the pepper spray was not one of the officers trapped inside the circle. He was attempting to clear a path from outside the circle.
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Susan says:
Carmonn, what would you do if you were one of the police officers trapped in the middle of a group of protesters who were chanting “Don’t shoot us” repeatedly, causing an even larger crowd to gather?
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Violet Socks says:
Susan, I just don’t believe that story about the scary students trapping the cops. I think that was just ass-covering bullshit.
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Carmonn says:
To be honest, I’d probably laugh at the idea that chanting students wielding cell phone cameras are supposed to evoke terror in my riot gear-clad, trained, armed heart.
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Toonces says:
Police officers are supposed to be peacekeepers (e.g. peace officer). I think we’ve completely forgotten this in the US.
