UC-Davis Officials React To Pepper Spraying Incident

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Other Politics
Posted on Sat Nov 19, 2011 at 02:14:05 PM EST
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UC-Davis Spokeperson:

Claudia Morain, a UC Davis spokesperson, told The Huffington Post that [. . .] that the officers were essentially trapped (the videos suggest otherwise) and had to transport several of the arrested students. "The pepper spray was used because they needed to get out of there," she said [. . .] "The police tried to use the least force that they could," Morain explained.

UC-Davis Campus police chief:

UCD Police Chief Annette Spicuzza [. . .], who observed the events on the Quad, said that she was “very proud” of her officers.

Oh by the way, the rationale for the action?

Chancellor Linda Katehi [said that . . .] while she appreciated the peaceful nature of recent protests, liability concerns and limited staffing to supervise protesters meant the encampment must come down.

(Emphasis supplied.) Liability concerns? This helped, I'm sure.

< "Shame On You" | UC-Davis Chancellor Forms Task Force On Pepper Spray Incident; Says "video is chilling to us all" >

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UC-Davis Officials React To Pepper Spraying Incident | 12 comments (12 topical)

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I can't reply to these quotes in a comment here (5.00 / 1) (#7)
by Edger on Sat Nov 19, 2011 at 02:42:22 PM EST

because of the site comment policy language restrictions here.

I will predict that soon the pretests of the sixties will look like pre-school by comparison.

Kent State, too...

: I was going to correct (none / 0) (#10)
by Edger on Sat Nov 19, 2011 at 02:47:40 PM EST

"pretests" to "protests".
But maybe "pretests" is correct...

Hey, (5.00 / 1) (#12)
by NYShooter on Sat Nov 19, 2011 at 03:47:03 PM EST

that's your Corporatization of campuses

Why call in a couple of dozen police officers to pick up and carry away protesters safely, when ONE cop, spraying noxious pepper spray directly into the faces of sitting, peaceful, students can do the job?

(of course, not calling in the police at all, and letting citizens exercise their Constitutional rights would cost even less....Zero.)

But, as the heroes of the "cat food" Committees. preach, "Bold and Decisive" is the in-thing these days.

Cost/benefit baby!

Ah ha. There's the essence. Liability. (none / 0) (#1)
by oculus on Sat Nov 19, 2011 at 02:16:58 PM EST

But, who can predict the outcome of the about to be pending 42 U.S.C. section 1983 lawsuit? Successful plaintiff entitled to attorney's fees and costs.

If that was "the essence" (5.00 / 2) (#3)
by Big Tent Democrat on Sat Nov 19, 2011 at 02:22:22 PM EST

Then the 1% needs to fire the Chancellor for stupidity.

Oh BTW, when the protest is 10x as big on Monday, then what? More pepper spray?


: Rubber bullets (none / 0) (#8)
by Edger on Sat Nov 19, 2011 at 02:43:12 PM EST

steel-jacketed?

Money quote: (none / 0) (#2)
by oculus on Sat Nov 19, 2011 at 02:21:52 PM EST

Morain admitted that she had not thoroughly studied the videos of the incident.
But she said, "We are just not going to allow a tent city. Just period. In these budget times, we shouldn't use resources that should be going to our core academic mission going to a tent city."

Instead (5.00 / 3) (#4)
by Big Tent Democrat on Sat Nov 19, 2011 at 02:23:02 PM EST

they'll use them on attorneys fees and settlements.

Brilliant.


She's very short-sighted and needs to (none / 0) (#5)
by oculus on Sat Nov 19, 2011 at 02:27:18 PM EST

let a press rep. speak for her.


She did (5.00 / 1) (#6)
by Big Tent Democrat on Sat Nov 19, 2011 at 02:28:12 PM EST

The stupid is all over at UC-Davis.


: The stupid seems to be all over (none / 0) (#9)
by Zorba on Sat Nov 19, 2011 at 02:46:20 PM EST

the University of California system. First UC Berkeley, now UC Davis. I wonder if anyone has thought to contact Governor (no longer "Moonbeam") Jerry Brown? It's a state system, they get a whole lot of money from the state. Or the Board of Regents of the University of California, or the system-wide President, Mark G. Yudof.

Good lord. (none / 0) (#11)
by fishbane on Sat Nov 19, 2011 at 03:17:28 PM EST

These people really suck at their jobs. I mean, of course I disagree with their goals, but I wince a little at how inept they are. Katehi and Morain seem to simply not understand the game they're playing.