The use of Pepper spray on student protestors at UC Davis
was unacceptable behavior from police officers on campus.
I personally am against the protests popping up all around
the country. However, I am not against the right for people to do so, I only
wish those who do have a clearer idea of what can be done to accomplish what
they want.
The actions taken by police officers at UC Davis was
unnecessary and clearly the wrong choice.
UC Davis Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi issues a statement
announcing that the students were unlawfully congregating on the “quad” area.
The statement informed students that they were to take down their tents and
leave by 3p.m.
The students, however, did not leave. In fact they grew in
numbers using the Chancellor’s statement to help recruit people to their cause.
When the campus police arrived students were sitting with their arms locked refusing to leave.
The police decided to open fire with Pepper spray on the
peaceful protestors.
This action was awful.
Though the protestorswere breaking the law they were not offering violence. The police should have
just started carting them off to jail one at a time. It may have taken longer
but it would have been civil.
To bring violence against peaceful protestors is never the
answer. The police not only could have turned the scene violent with their own
action but they brought more attention to the protestors.
This can only make their jobs more difficult. Not to mention
the fact that it’s unethical for those of the police force, a group that is
meant to protect us, to bring violence against those who are not offering
violence themselves.
I do believe that these protestors are actually doing anything more than getting high and camping in the streets but that doesn’t
mean they deserve to be treating inhumanly.
There were so many other ways the police could have handled
this situation without violence. For instance they could have turned on the
sprinklers and just soaked them out.
Instead these men and women who are supposed to protect
people knowingly and intentionally brought violence of a sort to a peaceful
protest.
This action has now blurred the lines of perception
surrounding the incident. It is no longer a matter of whether the protestors
had a point or if there were breaking any laws now the only issue is that these
officers abused their power.