It would be comforting to believe that was one rogue cop, only it's not. There was no other cop out there saying, "Carl, don't you think that's going too far." In fact, this is standard police practice.
This video is New York City in September. Again, peaceful protesters sprayed in the face by a uniformed officer as nonchalantly as if he were picking up a stray gum wrapper. Pepper spray is not as showy as beating someone over the head with a billy club but it is equally violent.
Another common police tactic used in Oakland and Portland recently is to use police violence to stimulate riot-like conditions that justify violent suppression. One could fill a volume with photos of police violence against peaceful Occupy protesters. Here are 32 shots from New York.
In many cities in the United States, the police department is just another brutal street gang victimizing a peaceful population.
1 comment:
Further proof that, while Americans talk big about "free speech", they hate real free speech and support the same tactics that they self-righteously criticize in other countries. US history is replete with incidents like this. We are a very short step from repeating Kent State, and those in authority will be apologists for the atrocities.
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