Protests and police on campus

[Wahoo Redux]

Context from the Guardian:

An analysis of 553 US campus demonstrations nationwide between 18 April and 3 May found that fewer than 20 resulted in any serious interpersonal violence or property damage, according to statistics from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (Acled).

Over the same period, Acled documented at least 70 instances of forceful police intervention against US campus protests, which includes the arrest of demonstrators and the use of physical dispersal tactics, including the deployment of chemical agents, batons and other kinds of physical force.

So the lack of "serious interpersonal violence or property damage" potentially still allows blocking people from services and spaces, among other things. It also potentially allows all kinds of nasty name-calling and verbal harassment.
 

Frankly, I had the same thought.

And we shouldn't demonize the police for enforcing the law, even if they have to use force.  If anyone----students, professors, or anyone----is given a lawful order, they have to obey.  If they do not, the police are allowed to use proportional force to enforce the law.  I've watched the footage.  These are not cops walloping students with clubs as they did during the Chicago Democratic Convention in '68 or whatever.  These are wrestling matches and zip-ties and students (and the odd professor) being led from campus.

I acknowledge peoples' right to peacefully protest----but then one has to accept the consequences, which is part of the protest.

Ask ourselves: if these were registered students who were members of Storm Front peacefully occupying a campus but refusing to leave after lawfully ordered to, what would we have the cops do?

[jimbogumbo]

This discussion is to me, bizarre. Only a handful of campuses had spaces that prevented students from getting services. And I'm sorry, having police with snipers (IU and OSU) is an amazing overreach even if no heads were bashed. If the Storm Front students were on the quad the cops should do nothing.

And marshwiggle, the name calling in the US would almost certainly be protected free speech in this instance.

[Hibush]

Ask ourselves: if these were registered students who were members of Storm Front peacefully occupying a campus but refusing to leave after lawfully ordered to, what would we have the cops do?

Jusrisdictions vary as far as what city cops can do. In some places, if registered students are peacefully hanging out in a public space on campus, an order to leave would not be lawful. Campus administration needs to follow whatever due process and regulations apply to their campus. Some seem to have gotten it wrong by jumping in haste.

[dismalist]

Ask ourselves: if these were registered students who were members of Storm Front peacefully occupying a campus but refusing to leave after lawfully ordered to, what would we have the cops do?

Jusrisdictions vary as far as what city cops can do. In some places, if registered students are peacefully hanging out in a public space on campus, an order to leave would not be lawful. Campus administration needs to follow whatever due process and regulations apply to their campus. Some seem to have gotten it wrong by jumping in haste.

Looks to me like many campus administrations acted not in haste, but took far too long to call in the cops. Negotiate with trespassers and those interfering with normal operations and the stakes get raised. Give an inch, and the demonstrators take a foot. Have your buildings occupied next.

But so long as glass is not broken during the occupation, the Guardian will call it peaceful protests. No, that's not how it works.