Just getting up to speed on what went down at UC Davis, and after watching the videos of the cops walking up, flamboyantly brandishing the pepper spray, and then hosing down a bunch of kids doing nothing but sitting with their arms crossed, and all I can wonder is what the fuck were they thinking? Maybe our society is just numbed by the abuses of authority figures, but this image is a powerful one, and one that does not reflect well on the police, the UC Davis administration, or by extension, the 1% crowd. I’ll bet the folks at CLGC, plotting to destroy #OWS, scream in anguish every time they watch this sort of blatant and disgusting police brutality, because it only fans the flames.
It’s really just amazing that any administration official would think that this is the appropriate response. It’s mind-boggling that anyone with law enforcement training thinks that was the appropriate response. Lt. John Pike wasn’t maintaining the public order or using appropriate force, what he did was to physically assault a bunch of kids who pay a hell of a lot of money to be on that college campus. He shouldn’t have a job today, and if any of his colleagues had any balls or any sense, they would have arrested him on the spot on multiple counts of assault.
And neither should that shithead chancellor of UC Davis, Linda P.B. Katehi. This open letter to her calling for her resignation points out the most salient fact:
I call for your resignation because you are unfit to do your job. You are unfit to ensure the safety of students at UC Davis. In fact: you are the primary threat to the safety of students at UC Davis. As such, I call upon you to resign immediately.
The kids aren’t a threat to public order, it’s the so-called adults. Who hired these morons?
*** Update ***
Predictably, the ass-covering has begun:
During the early afternoon hours and because of the request to take down the tents, many students decided to dismantle their tents, a decision for which we are very thankful. However, a group of students and non-campus affiliates decided to stay. The university police then came to dismantle the encampment. The events of this intervention have been videotaped and widely distributed. As indicated in various videos, the police used pepper spray against the students who were blocking the way. The use of pepper spray as shown on the video is chilling to us all and raises many questions about how best to handle situations like this.
To this effect, I am forming a task force made of faculty, students and staff to review the events and provide to me a thorough report within 90 days. As part of this, a process will be designed that allows members of the community to express their views on this matter. This report will help inform our policies and processes within the university administration and the Police Department to help us avoid similar outcomes in the future. While the university is trying to ensure the safety and health of all members of our community, we must ensure our strategies to gain compliance are fair and reasonable and do not lead to mistreatment.
The balls on this lady. She orders the cops in riot gear to go pepper spray the kids, then when everyone is horrified at what she has done, she forms a task force to figure out what happened. You don’t need a fucking task force to figure out what happened. You’re the problem. Just look in the mirror and ask yourself “Why am I such a blithering idiot?” And then resign.