Police Crackdowns on Occupy Camps are Real Threat

Linda Lye @ San Francisco Chronicle - Around California and all over the country, we have been told that Occupy encampments must come down because of "health and safety concerns." But all around the country, we have seen the police take down these encampments with an overzealous use of pepper spray, tear gas and flash-bang grenades. The real "health threat" we should be concerned about is the threat to the health of our democracy when the government reacts to peaceful political expression with police violence.

UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi cited "health and safety concerns" on Friday when she called for tents at the fledging Occupy UC Davis encampment to "be peacefully removed" by 3 p.m. Later that day, students sat cross-legged and peacefully linked arms. But the UC Davis Police Department, charged with creating a "safe and secure environment" on campus, proceeded to methodically and repeatedly douse peaceful student protesters with pepper spray. What happened was, without question, morally unacceptable and legally unconstitutional.  Read more.

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