1 person found Dead at Occupy Denton

All About UNT · December 6, 2011

kalebschumann · December 6, 2011

I think the video evidence is pretty clear.

Whether they were or not, they didn't deserve the pepper spray shower. But that's cool, let your political convictions outweigh police brutality, if that's your thing man.

I've seen the full 16 minute video:

-The police just wanted to remove the people that set up tents and camped over night, after they got those few people, the left

-The protestors then follwed and encircled the police while they were waiting for patrol cars to come pick up the few protestors they had detained

-They blocked the police from doing their job- they're job of enforcing the law

-The police WARNED the protestors 3 times, and personally let each person they pepper sprayed that they would do so whether or not the protestors' actions were passive or aggressive

There's no way you can defend the UC Davis protestors after seeing the full video.

KRAM1 · December 6, 2011

Read the quotes in today's DRC regarding the guy who died and then tell me they were not treating him more like a "pet" than a human being. Sad...some think doing that helps homeless people...it doesn't and it is very condescending and disrespectful to the individual as a human being. In no way does it help them other than for the immediate. Like the "give them a fish or teach them how to fish" parable.

yyz28 · December 6, 2011

The over-riding point here is had the UNT administration done it's job this would't be a UNT issue. The Administration made a MASSIVE mistake by allowing this on campus. OUR CAMPUS. ...and now UNT, the students and alumni get to pay the price for this error in judgement.

It IS a shame this young man died, no matter the circumstances or his political slant. ...but it shouldn't have happened on our University's Campus.

kalebschumann · December 6, 2011

The over-riding point here is had the UNT administration done it's job this would't be a UNT issue. The Administration made a MASSIVE mistake by allowing this on campus. OUR CAMPUS. ...and now UNT, the students and alumni get to pay the price for this error in judgement.

It IS a shame this young man died, no matter the circumstances or his political slant. ...but it shouldn't have happened on our University's Campus.

That about sums it up.

Coffee and TV · December 7, 2011

There's no way you can defend the UC Davis protestors after seeing the full video.

I very well can. Even the inventor of the product was embarrassed at the way the cop used it.

mattmartin817 · December 8, 2011

So are we legitimately worried that the death of a homeless man on campus is going to potentially drive away potential recruits/students? Is that what's happening here? Do you think kids that want to go to UT think twice because of the tower shooting or about other tragedies that have happened at various universities around the country? This is a topic because for some of you, you think it validates your view of the OWS crowd.

Green Mean · December 8, 2011

So are we legitimately worried that the death of a homeless man on campus is going to potentially drive away potential recruits/students? Is that what's happening here? Do you think kids that want to go to UT think twice because of the tower shooting or about other tragedies that have happened at various universities around the country? This is a topic because for some of you, you think it validates your view of the OWS crowd.

This.

Monkeypox · December 8, 2011

So are we legitimately worried that the death of a homeless man on campus is going to potentially drive away potential recruits/students? Is that what's happening here? Do you think kids that want to go to UT think twice because of the tower shooting or about other tragedies that have happened at various universities around the country? This is a topic because for some of you, you think it validates your view of the OWS crowd.

I would say the tragedies did have an effect on recruits/students in the years immediately after those tragedies. I'm pretty sure a senior visiting a campus and seeing a makeshift shanty-town in its midst probably wouldn't consider it a positive.

Also, I think saying that this incident is a concern because it validates a political position would also have to come with an admission that the UC Davis is only news for the same reason, that some people feel it validates their view of police. Otherwise, it reeks of hypocrisy, IMO.

kalebschumann · December 8, 2011

I would say the tragedies did have an effect on recruits/students in the years immediately after those tragedies. I'm pretty sure a senior visiting a campus and seeing a makeshift shanty-town in its midst probably wouldn't consider it a positive.

Also, I think saying that this incident is a concern because it validates a political position would also have to come with an admission that the UC Davis is only news for the same reason, that some people feel it validates their view of police. Otherwise, it reeks of hypocrisy, IMO.

I wonder how the UNT tours have handled this... Have they avoided the area? What do they say when they pass the area? Hundreds of students tour our campus every week. Hard to ignore I'd imagine.

-On you're left you'll see the--

-Excuse me sir, is that the Occupy Denton protest area?

-Yes it is. Moving on, you'll see the--

-Didn't a homeless man die there last week?

Censored by Laurie · December 8, 2011

I wonder how the UNT tours have handled this... Have they avoided the area? What do they say when they pass the area? Hundreds of students tour our campus every week. Hard to ignore I'd imagine.

-On you're left you'll see the--
-Excuse me sir, is that the Occupy Denton protest area?
-Yes it is. Moving on, you'll see the--
-Didn't a homeless man die there last week?

You know, Yale has the same problem right now. Really chasing away the prospective students...

kalebschumann · December 8, 2011

I very well can. Even the inventor of the product was embarrassed at the way the cop used it.

I'm not talking about how the pepper spray was used, Im talking about why the pepper spray was used.

Edited December 8, 2011 by kalebschumann

kalebschumann · December 8, 2011

You know, Yale has the same problem right now. Really chasing away the prospective students...

I'm just wondering how they're handling it. In the most un-politically motivated way. How are the tours explaining/handling the Occupy Denton protestors.

mattmartin817 · December 8, 2011

Probably just saying it's a university, we have hippies, these things happen.

Coffee and TV · December 8, 2011

I'm not talking about how the pepper spray was used, Im talking about why the pepper spray was used.

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=gUAVFeXZzGI

http://boingboing.ne...ventor-its.html

Keep defending police brutality. I'm sure it'll keep getting you plenty more upvotes around these parts though.

Edited December 8, 2011 by Coffee and TV

Mean Green Matt · December 8, 2011

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=gUAVFeXZzGI

http://boingboing.ne...ventor-its.html

Keep defending police brutality. I'm sure it'll keep getting you plenty more upvotes around these parts though.

People keep blabbering about police brutality and it is ridiculous. If the police told them to move (which they did) and the people didn't move, they deserved the pepper spray 100%. If they had listened to the cops, they would not have been pepper sprayed. Simple as that. If a police officer tells you to do something, just do it.

Green P1 · December 8, 2011

Wait.... Did they kill Darwin Cox with pepper spray?!?!

TheTastyGreek · December 8, 2011

People keep blabbering about police brutality and it is ridiculous. If the police told them to move (which they did) and the people didn't move, they deserved the pepper spray 100%. If they had listened to the cops, they would not have been pepper sprayed. Simple as that. If a police officer tells you to do something, just do it.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble ***UNLESS A POLICE OFFICER TELLS THEM TO MOVE ALONG***, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Fixed?

I'm not an Occupy Wall Street guy, by any stretch... But I think the first amendment works a lot better without the modification.

Mean Green Matt · December 8, 2011

Fixed?

I'm not an Occupy Wall Street guy, by any stretch... But I think the first amendment works a lot better without the modification.

The police were in an uncomfortable location with respect to where the protesters were. That is why they were being asked to move. It has nothing to do with whether or not they had a right to protest, and their right was not taken away by the police officers, those people in that situation lost it by failing to adhere to a simple and reasonable request from a law enforcement official.

All About UNT · December 9, 2011

Fixed?

I'm not an Occupy Wall Street guy, by any stretch... But I think the first amendment works a lot better without the modification.

hippie....hip hoper.

TheTastyGreek · December 9, 2011

The police were in an uncomfortable location with respect to where the protesters were. That is why they were being asked to move. It has nothing to do with whether or not they had a right to protest, and their right was not taken away by the police officers, those people in that situation lost it by failing to adhere to a simple and reasonable request from a law enforcement official.

Shall not be abridged ***UNLESS THE POLICE FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE IN THE PHYSICAL LOCATION THEY PLACED THEMSELVES IN NEAR SEATED PEOPLE WHO POSE ABSOLUTELY NO PHYSICAL THREAT WHATSOEVER, IN WHICH CASE- FACE FULL OF PEPPER SPRAY!!!***

I still don't think that's "fixed".

Mean Green Matt · December 9, 2011

I still don't think that's "fixed".

I do not feel as though the request of law enforcement for the protesters to move a few feet in any way infringed on their right to peacably protest, so I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree.

Monkeypox · December 9, 2011

I do not feel as though the request of law enforcement for the protesters to move a few feet in any way infringed on their right to peacably protest, so I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree.

It's not even a request to move a few feet. The protestors surrounded the police in an order to prevent them from passing, unless they agreed to release those they'd already arrested. So this isn't a first ammendment issue. It's an issue of obstructing the police. The protestors attempted to incite a violent response, and the police, instead of arresting more people or removing them by physical force, pepper sprayed them.

TheTastyGreek · December 9, 2011

The protestors attempted to incite a violent response, and the police, instead of arresting more people or removing them by physical force, pepper sprayed them.

By sitting?

Also, wasn't there a fire hose or something else they could have used instead of pepper spray? Maybe some dogs or nightclubs or something?

Monkeypox · December 9, 2011

By sitting?

No, by surrounding them and telling them they (the police) weren't going to be allowed to proceed with their arrest without a show of force. It's laid out in about 30 minutes of video I've watched, and they say it pretty clearly. They WON'T let the police do their job without a show of force, and they got it.

But I'm done on the subject. I've been pepper sprayed, been on both sides of crowd control, seen people trampled. There are few on this board that have the knowledge and experience to judge what happened there. Military and police experience is a likely prerequisite.

The police were given few options - physically pick up and arrest the people committing obstruction (already with detainees) or pepper spray them. The police were doing their job. The protesters were breaking the law, were asked to stop, were warned of the consequences, SAID THEY WERE OKAY FACING THOSE CONSEQUENCES, and then received them.

Got what they want.

Now that I feel sick for having to agree with the righties on something - That Rick Perry is retarded.