I may have my doubts about the Occupy movement’s platform (such as it is), but I’ve none about the aggressive use of law enforcement against peaceful protesters: that use is wrong, being both offensive and contrary to America’s political tradition.
The Huffington Post offers up a video of excessive use of force against seated protesters in California:
On Friday, a group of University of California, Davis students, part of the Occupy Wall Street movement on campus, became the latest victims of alleged police brutality to be captured on video. The videos show the students seated on the ground as a UC Davis police officer brandishes a red canister of pepper spray, showing it off for the crowd before dousing the seated students in a heavy, thick mist.
This incident recalls the earlier infamous pepper spraying by a New York Police Department official of several women who were seated and penned in. The UC Davis images are further proof that police continue to resort to brutal tactics when confronting Occupy activists. One woman was transported to a hospital to be treated for chemical burns.
This is a shameful abuse of authority, where no one threatens the police or other officials. Almost as bad, it’s the misuse of state resources to decide a peaceful political question, to tip the scales fundamentally against one group. As it was wrong to use dogs against civil rights protesters, so it is wrong to use chemicals against seated and peaceful Occupy protesters.
Excessive force against those committing simple acts of civil disobedience is a disgrace and shame to this country.