Police Brutality at UC Santa Cruz 4/20/05

[izzybeans]

I posted this elsewhere. Not sure why no one responded here at DU. But whatever. "Pain compliance" holds on a peaceful and lawful assembly. If this can happen in Santa Cruz it can happen anywhere.



photoessay

http://santacruz.indymedia.org/newswire/display/17462/index.php

the video-click the link called alternate link. the others have been removed from UC's server.

http://santacruz.indymedia.org/newswire/display/17436/index.php

[cestpaspossible]

1. One comment only

the purpose of a protest is not to expose police brutality, it is to highlight an issue, educate the public about it.

Posting this without a detailed account of the message the protestors were trying to broadcast, means the police were successful in silencing the protestors voice.

But there is still time... what is the underlying issue and the reason for the protest?


I lived Santa Cruz homelessly off and on for a few years and had a house in Corralitos for awhile... nice area...

[izzybeans]

3. Okay.

It was a campus camp-in held in solidarity with U Missouri Kansas City and Rutgers University called Tent State University. I can't speak for santa Cruz but I can say that the Rutgers Tent State is organized under the banner Education Not War. Today we hosted labor unions, Catholic Peace activists, some were handing out United for Peace and Justice information, there are lectures by scholars about democratic education, secondary ed. funding. The AUUP announced it will be joining forces with the American Federation of Teachers to place added pressure on the administration to allow professional employees to unionize, pay PTL's a living wage, and increase the living standard for support staff. There's a band playing tonight. Its organized by students and faculty.

For Rutgers it has been a retreat for a diverse set of grievances. I believe this was UCSC's first year with Tent State. I know they were inspired by the RU TSU and so believe the mission would be similar. Focus on campus activism but attract a diversity of different groups.

These are issues that many here on DU might find a bit esoteric. I thought they'd be more interested in the fact that students were brutalized for sitting in a circle on some grass, whatever the cause may be should not matter. Campus protests ring silent outside of the hallowed halls anyway. I posted this info. in both GD and LBN and nobody cared so I thought stripped of context with a big flaming imagine somebody might actually give a rip. Guess not.

The first thing the cops did was tear down the tents and drag them off. Symbolic no doubt. They were beaten for setting up tents on campus. 20 were snatched up and then the cops ran away like cowards when they realized their camaras were not the only ones around.

This Tent State is something we at Rutgers have done without problem for a few years now. It was originally a response to budget cuts and tuition increases, but never limited to that narrow frame. the video is absolutely disgusting. What I'm saying doesn't register without you seeing it for yourself. I haven't seen police violence like this in a long time. Not even in a movie.

www.tentstate.edu

[cestpaspossible]

4. I guess I'm a cynic.

As someone who has been arrested and detained without cause, and been beaten during another incident where I was detained without any charges being filed against me, I don't find police violence surprising any more.

[izzybeans]

9. This is the reason why I posted the info. This sort of thing is

being treated as business as usual. So much so even very little interest from DUers can be mustered. Perhaps if my headline read "Anti-war Protesters assaulted", which they were, then they'd come running. This should be news every time it occurs. It's absurd that we take it for granted as if its part of our natural attitude of what constitutes acceptable police conduct.

The legitimation for these new paralysis techniques, even though they are medieval in origin, is basically "Nah, we do it all the time."

[cestpaspossible]

13. We need civilian oversight boards to supervise the police.

Because, yeah, it is business as usual. Don't let the fact that I recognize that it is common make you think I believe it is acceptable.

[Nikki Stone 1]

7. I have heard about this Tent State and it's usually peaceful

Not that the cops needed a reason, but what reasons did they give? Knocking down the tents makes no sense.

[izzybeans]

8. According to the UC press release it was because a curfew

was set. Tent State is peaceful.

[Nikki Stone 1]

11. The university set a curfew? Did they say why?

Or was this just CYA after the fact?

[izzybeans]

12. I think they set it the day of to keep them from assembling on campus.

It wasn't after the fact I don't think. But it seemed to be part of the standard we'll place you here, no wait go behind the dumpster treatment. But I'm not sure.

[Nikki Stone 1]

15. So it's not standard operating procedure?

I wonder why the university did that? I've been to UCSC and it is quite a quiet campus. Gorgeous area, BTW.

[izzybeans]

17. I hear the Chancellor is new.

It wasn't standard procedure to have a curfew. I don't even know of any private universities that do.

[keithjx]

2. That's pretty F-ing disturbing. n/t

[robertarctor]

5. sign of the times

the counterculture has no champion. Sad, sad sad.
I guess the poison is next.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[izzybeans]

10. This wasn't just the "counterculture"

Yes, the rightwingers would love to get their hands on some Santa Cruz hippies, but they don't represent the entire progressive voice on college campuses. This is about progressive culture. Police action like this is "counterculture". Why don't we just get on with the beheadings of sinners and the burning of liberals then?

[Scout1071]

14. The police were involved with Tent U at UMKC as well

But it ended peacefully with the students getting to sit down with the administrators. Link:

http://www.unews.com/news/2005/04/10/News/Students.Block.Intersection.Present.Demands-926851.shtml

[Gyre]

16. Accountability should be your next concern

The Chancellor is directly responsible for the conduct of the University Police.

Gyre