A group called Occupy Colleges, fashioning themselves after Occupy Wall Street, has issued a statement denouncing what they are calling the “police shooting and beating of students at UC Riverside.”In a statement they argue that students were “brutally and unnecessarily injured” at a peaceful demonstration at UC Riverside.
According to their account, “Close to 800 student activists gathered throughout the day outside the building where Regents board members were meeting behind closed doors to discuss further budgetary cuts and other matters.”
“Police forces already forming a barrier to prevent student access into the building were joined by a legion of armed Sheriff Officers and more police back up, toting what looked like guns in hand. They made their way through the hundreds of UC students in order to get to the front line, often pointing their guns or wielding batons in their face and shouting ‘move.’ “
“As the police and sheriff units finalized their formation at the front line of the protest, seemingly protecting the entrance to the building, they pushed students further back; however in this disorganized attempt to obtain more ground many students lost their footing and either fell or were pushed forward by the dense mob of students that stood or were sitting behind them,” the release explains.
“It is among this chaos and as students chanted ‘Peaceful Protest’ that at least one student was pushed forward, seized by police and beaten. Almost simultaneously, officers on the front line began to shoot into the crowd of students less than 4 feet in front of them without warning.”
“Several accounts describe the weapons police fired at students as ‘paint-pellet guns.’ “
“The officers continued to fire even as the students struggled to move away, in effect using the bullets, which released paint upon impact, as a crowd control mechanism[s],” the group reported.
“A staff member at UC Riverside recounts, ‘Someone moved toward the police – not aggressively, just like they were pushed, and the police started shoving students with batons, shot a few rounds, and arrested at least one student, who 3 cops beat on the ground before they dragged him off.’ “
“UC Riverside organizer Gabriela Vazquez states, ‘A lecturer, Ken Ehlrich, was dragged away from the front line by his ankles and arrested.’ “
Mr. Ehlrich is reportedly being held on $2,500 bail, and is currently still in custody.
The release describes that many students were injured during the altercation. They go on to say that “at least three were severely injured by bullets, while another during a beating by police.” The report does not specify the nature or degree of the injuries.
“These events shadow the equally violent protests of UC Davis where student activists performing a sit-in on campus were infamously doused with pepper spray several times,” they write.
“Occupy Colleges denounces the violent force used by police and joins students of all UC campuses and universities and colleges nationwide in calling for a significant nonviolent response to these actions,” they continue.
“Occupy Colleges wants to make it clear that this sort of behavior by police will not be tolerated. It was not acceptable in November at Berkeley and Davis, it was not acceptable during the 1960s and it is not acceptable now,” the release continues. “Students, many who believed the days of violent police actions were behind them, will continue to protest until officials get it right: students have the right to peacefully communicate their grievances without the fear of being brutally beaten, shot at or otherwise injured, harassed or bullied.”
According to ABC 7 news from Los Angeles, “The regents walked out of the room, while the students continued to list off alternatives to fee hikes, including the reform of Proposition 13 to help fund public education, taxing millionaires and oil companies and to freeze or cut administrative positions that pay more than $125,000 a year.”
Board chair Sherry Lansing told the students she was frustrated by their actions.
“If your sole intention is to disrupt the meeting, you have succeeded,” she told the students. “If your intention, which I hope, is to have constructive dialogue … you are welcome, and we wanted you to stay, but if you continue to chant, we can’t do the business. We can’t explore any of the options that you’re talking about.”
A release from the UC Riverside Newsroom indicates that UC Riverside police detained three people during the protests, from a crwod of an estimated 300 to 500 protesters.
According to their release, “A UCR police officer fired pellets toward protesters who were trying to break through police lines. These are hard plastic pellets that are similar in force to a paintball. Officers from the University of California Police Department (UCPD) used batons at different times and locations in response to aggressive action by the protesters. The department is attempting to identify and contact anyone who was injured.”
“The protesters picked up a metal barricade and began advancing through the crowd and toward officers,” UCR Police Chief Mike Lane said. Fearing that the barricade was going to be thrown, or used as a weapon, police deployed the air-propelled pellets. Lane said that incident was the only time that police deployed pellets.
Chief Lane also indicated protesters were picking up the metal barricades to use them to block access to the roadway, refusing to allow vehicles to leave from a parking lot. At one point, university vehicles carrying UC administrators and employees were surrounded by protesters. Police responded and after about 40 minutes, the vehicles were allowed to leave.
“We had planned to take the Regents out of the rear loading dock area, but that was blocked. So we took them to the second floor of the Highlander Union Building, through Costo Hall, and into three vans,” said Chief Lane. “Officers jogged alongside to make sure the vans were not surrounded or prevented from leaving and to keep protesters and pedestrians out of harm’s way.”
“Let me say that I am very proud of how officers were able to allow the Regents to meet here despite the challenges of the protest,” said Chief Lane. “Our officers protected our students, the UC Regents, and other members of the campus community. So my deep thanks to all the officers from the three law enforcement agencies involved.”
Students dispute the account. Lee Rogers, a PHD Student in Political Science, said he was one of the people carrying the metal partition that police had been using to separate people, “to protect peaceful protesters, once again, from being pulled out of the line by police officers instigating violence and making false arrests.”
He noted that the purpose for carrying the partition was to create a barrier between seated protesters and police officers.
In a letter to the campus community on Friday, UCR Chancellor Timothy P. White said, “The students have legitimate concerns about affordability and access to UC, as well as the quality of their educational experience. I share their deep concern and worry, and I along with so many others, am working daily to help find solutions.”
He said he appreciated the restraint shown by the students, the police and by the regents in the face of a difficult situation. He also offered kudos for the hard work of the staff who organized every detail of food, transportation, facilities, safety and communications.
—David M. Greenwald reporting
“He noted that the purpose for carrying the partition was to create a barrier between seated protesters and police officers.”
And the police knew that was their intention because…….?
Some questions that I think would be pertinent:
1) did the protesters have, or need a permit for the demonstration given the tome and location ?
2) If this was an announced protest, what was the stated nature and purpose ? Had there been conversation between protest organizers and police prior to the gathering ? During the gathering ?
3) Is it illegal to move a barricade in this setting ?
4) Did the police offer a warning prior to firing into the crowd ?
5) Did they make any attempt to get the protesters to put down the barricade or ascertain their purpose prior to firing?
Is anyone following the UCR protests enough to know the answers ?
Medwoman, maybe the police should’ve just waited until the barricade was possibly flung at them and caused injury.
Would you agree that grabbing a barricade and hoisting it high as you walked towards a heated confrontation wasn’t the smartest thing to do?
I think you are both jumping to the wrong place here. UC Police have mishandled just about every opportunity they have had. At this point, involving them does the UC more harm than good. They are in no win situation. So the real question I think is: why sent out the police at all? There were no police on the quad following the pepper spray incident and a large group of people, probably more than 5000 packed the quad with no problems to report.
Just an observation.
It came to mind for me after watching the NFL football playoffs yesterday that we routinely allow very large numbers of people to gather, disrupt
traffic flow, block entrances and exits from venues through their sheer numbers, shout ( including negative comments) , chant, and otherwise inconvenience people who are not participating in the event but are merely nearby and attempting to go about their own business. Not only do we allow it, we actively encourage it and provide public funding in the form of local police for crowd and traffic control. If we are willing to do this
For fans attending sporting events, why are we not showing the same degree of accommodation for students whose goals are different, but whose actions are essentially the same ? Could it be because the sports activity generates large amounts of money for a relatively few ?
Could it be because sport is popular, while the ideas being expressed by the students are not ? Is it merely a matter of lack of communication and coordination between protesters and police ?
How many people are required to “throw” an eight foot
(or longer) galvanized steel barricade ? The cops couldn’t lay across the top bar and make the kids drop it ? Dubious would be a generous description of Chief Lane’s explanation .
“Medwoman, maybe the police should’ve just waited until the barricade was possibly flung at them and caused injury.”
I’m incredulous that they really could have flung it. Also what had the demonstrators done to that point to make the police they were intending to commit a violent act?
But again, it comes back to for me, at the start, an overreaction by the police to respond at all.
“Just an observation.
It came to mind for me after watching the NFL football playoffs yesterday that we routinely allow very large numbers of people to gather, disrupt
traffic flow, block entrances and exits from venues through their sheer numbers, shout ( including negative comments) , chant, and otherwise inconvenience people who are not participating in the event but are merely nearby and attempting to go about their own business. Not only do we allow it, we actively encourage it and provide public funding in the form of local police for crowd and traffic control. If we are willing to do this
For fans attending sporting events, why are we not showing the same degree of accommodation for students whose goals are different, but whose actions are essentially the same ? Could it be because the sports activity generates large amounts of money for a relatively few ?
Could it be because sport is popular, while the ideas being expressed by the students are not ? Is it merely a matter of lack of communication and coordination between protesters and police ?”
Oh, let me see. Could it be that in one you have people gathering for a fun sporting event and in the other you have disgruntled protesters trying to create chaos? In any case, sporting events have a police presence too.
Rusty
I certainly agree that lifting and moving the barrier was “not the smartest thing to do”. I interpret this quite differently than you do.
It was not smart from a number of points of view. First, it would make a terrible weapon, unwieldy, heavy, requiring coordination between those doing the lifting and carrying, and easily thwarted as was pointed out by a previous poster. So, since as Elaine pointed out, the students are a relatively bright lot, they probably would have also figured this out and just perhaps had a different motive.
I think it is apparent that these are not the actions of experienced protesters or agitators but of naive kids. One maxim we have in medicine, and I would hope there is something similar in law enforcement, is “First, do no harm”. It is the responsibility of professionals to assess the situation, weight the options, risks and benefits of those options, and take action appropriate to the situation. Which brings me back to my list of questions about this particular set of actions ? I find it difficult to believe that the danger posed by students carrying a barricade would exceed that of firing
Into a crowd and thus initiating the stampede that can be seen on a number of the clips. There are many instances of deaths and serious injuries
during stampedes. I am unaware of any deaths or serious injuries by elevated barricade. If anyone knows otherwise, I would certainly be interested to hear. But what seems to me is that while the students actions may be stupid, stupidity is not in my opinion, a cause for placing numerous people, including many innocent bystanders at serious risk by professionals inducing panic.
David,
I strongly agree with you that calling out police, especially riot geared police does nothing to help in these situations. Clearly advance planning,
Mutual respect, and a willingness to consider the others point of view even in very large settings is a better approach from both sides.
“Oh, let me see. Could it be that in one you have people gathering for a fun sporting event and in the other you have disgruntled protesters trying to create chaos? In any case, sporting events have a police presence too.
1) These”fun sporting events” not uncommonly have some who go, not for the fun, but to beat up on the opponent spectators.
Same behavior in my book should equal same treatment. When was the last time you saw riot police called out to ensure safety at a sporting
event?
2)” Trying to create chaos” I suspect this is a huge assumption on your part. I thint that the goal of the majority of these students is to call attention to an untenable situation, much as I was doing when I protested several wars. It would seem to me that the “chaos” only seems to occur when the police have initiated some action.
3) Yes, as I stated in my post, police are present at sporting events and are by in large polite, courteous and clearly there to protect and facilitate, not in riot gear, intimidating, and assaulting.
So why, again, could they not use these crowd calming approaches with the students ?
So I see we have some “barricade” experts on here. So tell me how much does a barricade weigh? How strong were the two men who had it hoisted and do you know for a fact that they were incapable of throwing it into the police line? Even if the barricade was heavy who’s to say that they couldn’t have rammed the police line with it?
[quote]In a statement they argue that students were “brutally and unnecessarily injured” at a peaceful demonstration at UC Riverside.[/quote]
“Peaceful” demonstration? Picking up a metal barricade, for whatever reason, is not “peaceful”. Second, it is my understanding the students disrupted the Bd of Regents meeting to such an extent the meeting had to be moved to another location and continued behind closed doors. Third, it appears the students may have been attempting to keep administrators from leaving the building. No matter which way you slice it, the students were in the wrong here, no matter how much students try and rationalize away their bad behavior.
This situation is completely different than what happened at UCD. At UCD, no meeting was being disrupted, no metal barricade was picked up and moved towards law enforcement in a threatening manner. Law enforcement had less violent options than pepper spraying the students at their disposal. To some extent the students were in the wrong by trying to surround police, but in hindsight the police could have just picked up the seated students and taken them away, rather than resorting to pepper spraying.
That model weighs about 20.5 kg (45 lbs). A rather ambitious weight to throw around . The two fellows seen carrying it were walking quite deliberately .
Biddlin, 2 men and 45 lbs. is an ambitious weight to throw around? Are you kidding? I could throw that by myself. Biddlin, maybe you need to hit the gym if you think 45 lbs. is too heavy for two young men to throw.
Sorry Rusty and Elaine, no way did the demonstrators level of conduct rise to the level of police response . This incident and the response of officials also speaks to an attitude that differentiates “Protestors” from citizens and neighbors, in order to dehumanize and thereby, disenfranchise them. BTW good for you rusty . How far with accuracy ?
I agree with Octane 91, these student protesters come off as a bunch of little spoiled whiny brats.
BTW rusty, the Les Paul I pack around my neck 14-20 hours a week weighs about 5 kg, so that combined with a old Vox amp is a pretty good upper-body workout right there : ) .
“Picking up a metal barricade, for whatever reason, is not “peaceful”.”
Really what if the purpose was to move it so that people didn’t get trampled? You said for whatever reason. I think the reason you pick it up matters.
“BTW rusty, the Les Paul I pack around my neck 14-20 hours a week weighs about 5 kg, so that combined with a old Vox amp is a pretty good upper-body workout right there : ) .”
Good for you Biddlin, I’ll bet you could probably give that barricade some good air time too.
“Good for you Biddlin, I’ll bet you could probably give that barricade some good air time too. ” I handled stuff like that for the city o’ Sac for thirty years and I guarantee you that I could not throw it one meter . It’s not just the weight, it’s the balance . You can’t throw the thing . Unless you have the Aggies frontline behind it, it doesn’t even make a good battering ram .
Biddlin, I’ll bet you whatever you want that if the barricade truly only weighs 45 lbs. that I and another person could throw that at least 10 feet.
BTW The barricade in question appears to be the “Crowd Stopper ” model GS02, which is 2.6 meters long .(8.5′)
[quote]Really what if the purpose was to move it so that people didn’t get trampled? You said for whatever reason. I think the reason you pick it up matters.[/quote]
While in the middle of a demonstration with law enforcement standing there in riot gear, picking up a 45 lb metal barricade and moving towards police is an incredibly stupid move and just asking for trouble…
“While in the middle of a demonstration with law enforcement standing there in riot gear, picking up a 45 lb metal barricade and moving towards police is an incredibly stupid move and just asking for trouble… “
That’s different from what you said initially which was that there was no peaceful purpose.
medwoman,
Good points, especially comparison to sporting events.
Yeah, picking up the barricades was either a tactical error, or more likely a spontaneous boo-boo.
Huzzah for the occupy protestors, hope they stir up some muck, get themselves heard, and make some people uncomfortable. Start up the public discussion on university funding; where it comes from and where it goes; and on the trends and plans underway on the degree of corporate influence on college education; from mission to cirricula to funding to intellectual property and patent rights.
[quote]That’s different from what you said initially which was that there was no peaceful purpose.[/quote]
I would say it’s both, no peaceful purpose and really stupid. Anyone who isn’t blinded by ideology can see that carrying a big piece of metal towards police at a rather confrontational scene is rather moronic.
Mr Obvious
The question for me is not whether picking up the barricade was moronic. The question is “Is being moronic enough cause for the police action of firing on the students, thus turning a “moronic situation” into a stampede, dangerous not only to the handful of students carrying the barricade,
But also to peaceful protesters not doing anything “moronic” and to innocent bystanders who are not even protesting, but merely observing?
The responsibility of the police is to protect the public, not emperil them by creating additional chaos in an already tense situation. A situation which arguably was not tense at all until the riot clad police pushed through the gathering crowd to establish their line. My evidence for this ? One of the tapes that I witnessed clearly records the change in demeanor of the observers, one seen eating an apple, another leaning against a building eating what appears to be a container of yogurt as the police are moving in while the student filming is calmly describing the scene, to students blindly running and shoving, and the filming student’s near panicky tone of voice between when shots are heard and when the crowd realizes it is paint ball shots being specifically, not generally aimed. The reason we have a law against shouting “fire” in a theater is not because it is inherently wrong to shout “fire”. It is because we can reasonably foresee that such an action might cause injury or death when people panic and try to escape the perceived threat. Again, I hold the trained professionls to a higher standard than “moronic” inexperienced kids whose motives the police did not apparently ascertain before opening fire.
On a separate note, one of the protesters stated that their intent in moving the barrier was to separate the protesters from the police thus ensuring safety. Since placement of barriers is often for this specific and presumably peaceful purpose when placed by the police, why would you assume this student is lying about his motivation when this is the most common use of these barriers?
“The release describes that many students were injured during the altercation. They go on to say that “at least three were severely injured by bullets, while another during a beating by police.” The report does not specify the nature or degree of the injuries.” David you are absolutely right. To update you 11 students were injured with paint pellet guns with injuries (bruising, bloody etc.) and two students or more, were beaten with batons. From the eye witness accounts we interviewed, they stated that the barricade was in fact used to protect students and in no way was being used as a weapon (although it is understandable this could be misconstrued) There has been violence now at 3 UC campuses and countless other schools nationally. It is the job of campus police to protect their students not injure them.
medwoman”…, I hold the trained professionals to a higher standard than ‘moronic’ inexperienced kids whose motives the police did not apparently ascertain before opening fire. ” Me too .”the handful of students carrying the barricade,” I’ve only seen two kids, one of them reminds me of the old 9 stone weakling advert, on either end of the barricade .
To medwoman: It is the students who are responsible for the “stampede”. But for their not picking up the metal barricade and moving towards the police, the police would not have had any reason to fire the rubber bullets…
I would also note that crowds can turn to unruly mobs very quickly, which the police are very cognizant of…
Especially when shot at, ERM .