Last week the on campus police of UC Davis were ordered to remove the students who were Occupying the campus. The police officers pepper sprayed a group of students sitting on the ground linked together by their arms. The video can be seen here.
I think it's amazing what social media can do. This particular video has the perspective of 4 different video cameras. I think once the order to remove the students was sent down the chain of command a viral video of the events was inevitable.
Now some of the officers have been put on paid administrative leave, but Chancellor Linda Katehi, who gave the original order says she has no plans to step down. I think if you're going to put the officers on administrative leave, it's only right to do the same for the person who gave the officer the order. Although Katehi may not have had control over what the officers did specifically, she had to have known extreme measures were going to take place due to other removal efforts of Occupy rallies around the country.
I think it's very important that people start thinking of the consequences before they order action. It has to be assumed with today's technology that videos, tweets, and fb statuses are going to get out quickly and cause an up-roar. Someone on this campus was not thinking ahead......
This was truly horrible. I have seen so many videos of police using excessive force over nothing, then simple get off with saying they felt threatened and "scared for their life." We as people should not be afraid of the government, they should be listening and afraid of us.
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