Numerous videos and images of police violently cracking down against peaceful OccupyWallStreet (OWS) protestors have gone viral in recent weeks.
The latest? A YouTube clip of a cop in riot gear emptying a canister of pepper spray into the faces of seated college protestors at UC Davis in California.
The incident is sparking outrage across the ‘Net, with the Davis Faculty Association (DFA) calling for the immediate resignation of Chancellor Katehi.
“The Chancellor’s authorization of the use of police force to suppress the protests by students and community members speaking out on behalf of our university and public higher education generally represents a gross failure of leadership,” the DFA wrote in an official statement.
“Given the recent use of excessive force by police against Occupy protestors at UC Berkeley and elsewhere, the Chancellor must have anticipated that, by authorizing police action, she was effectively authorizing their use of excessive force against peaceful UCD student protestors. The Chancellor’s role is to enable open and free inquiry, not to suppress it.”
Unsurprisingly, Katehi said she will not be resigning, although she did term the video “sad and really very inappropriate.” The chancellor also claimed that she would form a task to force to investigate the “chilling” police action.
Of course, police brutality against OWS protestors is nothing new, as law enforcement officials nationwide move to contain the rapidly growing movement with controversial tactics.
The violent crackdown has critically injured a number of demonstrators, including US Marine veteran Scott Olsen and Kayvan Sabehgi, a former US Army Ranger and Iraq/Afghan War veteran.
In the video below, Sabehgi – who is seen being beaten by officers under the auspices of the Oakland Police Department – was left with a lacerated spleen.
Other infamous responses to peaceful protests in California include Berkeley cops beating UC students, and, of course, flash grenades, tear gas and rubber bullets fired at Oakland protestors.
Times may have changed, but clearly, the intolerant attitude towards protestors and dissidents hasn’t evolved since the 1960s.
The question remains: what is the 1% so afraid of?
