A US university has suspended two of its campus police officers for allegedly spraying pepper spray over a bunch of students who were holding a peaceful protest in the campus on Friday on support of Occupy Wall Street movement. This ‘Occupy’ protests have been held across several campuses of University of California campuses, including this rally at Berkeley.

However, the chancellor of the university of California, Davis, who herself called the police, refused to resign and also criticized the use of pepper spray on the peaceful protestors.

In order to show solidarity with batch of protesters at another branch of the University of California, in Berkeley, this demonstration was held. And the footage of the pepper spray incident, already being widely circulated through internet, outraged students greatly.

The protesters were attacked with pepper spray apparently when they were sitting in a line on the floor with their arms interlocked, refusing to move. They also tried to cover their faces as officers in riot gear walked along while emptying canisters of the spray onto them.

The Davis Faculty Association has stated that ‘the violence was unprovoked, disproportional and excessive. Announcing to launch an investigation soon into what actually happened, Linda Katehi, the chancellor of the University of California, Davis, near Sacramento, described the use of pepper spray as chilling. A task force comprised of students, staff and faculty members would be set up and asked to report back within 30 days, she said. The use of pepper spray as shown on the video is chilling to us all and raises many questions about how best to handle situations like this,” Ms Katehi said in a message on the university’s website

The Davis Faculty Association, which represents academic staff, has condemned the University of California’s approach to protests on several different campuses by stating that This week, we have seen excessive force used against non-violent protesters, on the association’s website. Student, faculty and staff protesters have been pepper-sprayed directly in the eyes and mouth, beaten and shoved by batons, dragged by the arms while handcuffed, and submitted to other forms of excessive force. The violence was unprovoked, disproportional and excessive. We demand that the Chancellors of the University of California cease using police violence to repress non-violent political protests.

The association also demanded the resignation of Ms Katehi, which was however, rejected by her. As she stated I do not think that I have violated the policies of the institution, I have worked personally very hard to make the campus a safe campus for all, in reply to that.

Pepper spray leads to suspension of two campus police officers

Report by Indrani Chowdury