UC-Davis Occupy Protester Admits They Provoked Police In Pepper-Spray Incident

Thanks to The Right Scoop For this video.
Elli Pearson, one of the Occupy protesters who was pepper-sprayed by police at UC-Davis, admitted to "Democracy Now!" that the protesters locked arms and sat down to surround the police, who were actually trying to leave the campus. The protesters then told the police that if they wanted to leave, they'd have to clear a path through the protesters:

Category:

Education

Tags:

• UC
• Davis
• Occupy
• protester
• admits
• they
• provoked
• police
• in
• pep

[leedaewoong82]

They deserved it. Watch the full video!!

[21vdaddy]

yeah right girl. You deserved it. Everyone should watch the whole protest video. Stop this 10 second clip from being circulated even more.

[anto687]

Potesting? Potest?

[barysnikov]

@LaydiNite you see, but you do not observe. They arrested those who attempted to stop them from taking down the tents(which were illegally placed there). They were allowed to do that. The people trying to stop them were not arrested for protesting, but for obstruction. The pepper spraying was allowed, because it is a crowd control device. They gave the people plenty of warning, and then used the spray on those moronic enough to remain. This was THEIR fault.

[LaydiNite]

@leedaewoong82 I have watched the full video, and this was still unwarrented. The protesters were involved in peaceful protest, which they have every right to do. The police came in and were arresting them, claiming they were there illegally. The police then took the students they arrested away, which is when this segment of the video came in. While it wasn't the smartest idea to block the policemen, these cops had no right to spray a non-violent protester.

[charlesvan13]

This whole Occupy thing turned into a total fail.

It could have been about something meaningful. The Tea party got candidates elected and actually influenced policy. But these protests just degenerate into this childish "Fuck the police!" silliness.

[zon3ful]

@desireejphoto you are missing the point here. They didn't let the police leave, that's obstruction of justice. They have been warned at least 7 times. The protesters didn't take them seriuosly( they were even laughing). "CAMPUS should be a designated free speech zone", should be, but it isn't, its a public area. And police were not there for the protests but for the removal of some tents.

[desireejphoto]

Sigh, none of you get it. We're given the right to "free speech," but only in designated areas. No one sees a problem with that?! Esp. at a university, the entire CAMPUS should be a designated free speech zone. It's yet another way they use to try to control us & from those of you on the right screaming 'less government,' I would expect you to be more empathetic. We're witnessing the beginnings of martial law, & when it becomes the norm, I don't want to hear any of you obedient people crying.

[whybag]

@sarkasmi83 Not great at picking up sarcasm are you?

[sarkasmi83]

@whybag They "only" got 3 warnings through a speaker to leave the college grounds and protest in public.They chose to shout, not listen. Police start taking down their tents, they interfere. Then surround them "peacefully", demanding the arrested people are let go. Multiple warnings.. None are heard. And then all of them got a personal warning upclose that "Do you understand we will HAVE to use force if you don't move" and they all nodded, one by one. And OMG suddenly they're peppersprayed WTF!?

[sarkasmi83]

@ragon146 Yeah and at one point they actually chanted "FUCK THE POLICE" :D

Peaceful protest.... hahha, these people don't even THEMSELVES know the rules of a lawful, peaceful protest and yet that's the card up their sleeve they use the most when police are trying to give them orders. "We have the right to protest" ... "Yes, but not here, and not in this manner"

[sarkasmi83]

@leedaewoong82 Indeed. I've never seen protestants act so childish and so unbelievably stupid before.

And funny how they still didn't understand any of what the police said.. as it wasn't about the cops saying "You do not have the right to protest", the cops were saying "This isn't a public place, you can't protest HERE" and suddenly they're making demands that their arrested friends get released.. "If you free them, we will continue our peaceful protest".. isn't that a THREAT, actually :D