Haka dancers in Utah pepper sprayed by police Prep Rally High school

According to the Associated Press, Deseret News and Salt Lake Tribune, among other sources, a group of relatives of a player for the Roosevelt (Utah) Union High football team was attacked with pepper spray by police officers in Roosevelt, Utah while performing the dance shortly after Uintah's 17-14 victory. The group performing the Haka reportedly blocked the exit from the field, and while their dance was destined to be a quick one -- as practically all Hakas performed by sports teams are -- police insisted that they move from the area to allow players and others to leave the field.
When they began dancing instead, Roosevelt police began using pepper spray to displace the crowd.
"I've never seen anything like it," Union fan Jason Kelly told the Deseret News. "It was totally unprovoked."
The Haka has become a more popular pre-game or postgame attraction for sports teams across American sports after its use by the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team spread globally. The All Blacks, who perform an intimidating Haka before every game, won the 2011 Rugby World Cup on Sunday in an 8-7 victory against France.
The pepper spray spread far beyond the performers, reaching players and fans at the game and causing fans to run from the scene with watering eyes.
You can see video of the Haka melee above, which shows police officers insisting that the dancers "make a hole," in their formation to allow players and others to leave the field. As onlooker Zack Aguiniga told the Salt Lake Tribune, the dancers may not have been able to hear that command because they were in the middle of their Haka performance, chanting loudly in unison and drowning out surrounding noise.
As the police officers sprayed the crowd, either a dancer or onlooker could be heard yelling "I'm going to sue you guys," at the officers.
Nearly all who reported witnessing the incident said the dancers posed to security threat and questioned why police had acted the way they did.
"Five seconds into it, the police officers started coming at them with their clubs, telling them to make room," Union fan Jessica Rasmussen told the Tribune. "They started spraying Mace."
Shawn Mitchell, who was at the game with his son and mother-in-law, also categorized the police response as a clear overreaction when interviewed by the Deseret News.
"I didn't see anything that looked like there could be a threat," he said.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• High School
• Police
• New
• Pepper (band)
• New (C++)
• funny
• The Police
• maori
• king
• tongan
• Zealand

[FistsOfFury21]

@76eaglechick If we allow 911 to change who we are then we already lost. I would rather face a chance of dying in a terrorist attack then to live in a police state, a irrational society where the police are paranoid tyrants and the government slowly but surely chips away at our civil liberties in order to keep us safe. Remember what Patrick Henry said in 1775? "Give me Liberty or give me death"..He didn't say give me security at the expense of liberty. Americans have become extremely unamerican!

[4AllMyKidz76]

@ProsOnlyProductions I heard the officer say more than 10 times to make a whole, they had more than 5 seconds to move. All I said was a better place and time would have eliminated these consequences. I did not agree or disagree. Maybe the officers didn't hear the parents and coaches, as the players said they didn't hear the officers commands. The officers reacted to aggression..it's more the fault of the School or the Organizer for not announcing what was about to take place PRIOR to doing it.

[Aroddo]

Step 2: Taser cheerleaders for wearing skimpy clothing.

[08071987]

@MoralInvasion OK you obviously use youtube just to be a troll and a racist (which means your definitely not a kiwi like me) don't you have anything better to do with when your time?

and what would you know about my haka?? how do know I'm even Maori??? these questions need to answered now you idiot because your looking more and more like a unreasonable clown who is just trolling on youtube

[MoralInvasion]

@mattblax666 Had the British the foresight to exterminate the Maoris like the vermin they are, NZ would have next to no crime, state dependancy and child murder.

[pbird88]

@MoralInvasion sounds like you found your girl getting fucked by a maori, or maybe your mum? either way there is no reason for you to show such disrespect towards a culture. I assume you live in New Zealand so if you dont like it you can simply fuck off to the UK with your real family.

[enterthekraken]

@4AllMyKidz76 the officers reacted to children shouting by assaulting them with a potentially-lethal chemical spray and that's cool with you? You're damaged mate.

[MoralInvasion]

@08071987 Lol, my culture has been around a lot longer than your haka and is infinitely more advanced than the remnants of your's. The haka, some wood carving practiced in obscurity and a language that costs reluctant, white taxpayers 400 million pa is all that's left of Maori culture. Like the Maori race it is fast disappearing and may there never be another as foul!

[08071987]

@MoralInvasion Its hostile savage attitudes like yours that almost wiped the Maori language form the face of the earth back in the 1920's.

The Haka's been around along time mate, longer than you so try to learn up on the subject and have a little bit more understanding and respect for it

you big stupid dumb ass idiot

[MoralInvasion]

Like I said before this is neolithic savagery that has no place in a western society. Here in New Zealand this bullshit is on the increase at rugby tournaments, council meetings, Parliament and at inner city intersections during peak hour traffic. Wish our police kept the same standards as their American counterparts.

[gmw44]

@MoralInvasion Scared of a little dance? I bet ballet gives you the shits too...