This is what's going on

[pecunium]

If a picture is worth a thousand words....

Woman being pepper sprayed, for offering a flower

She's not trying to break the line. She is backing up as it goes forward. Then the cop sprays her.

When she's walking away, clearly affected by it, trying to leave; and apparently no longer, "a threat," he hoses her again.

Comments

[skylarker.livejournal.com]

Clearly, staying in character as Fearsome Storm Troopers is more important than anything else one might consider in this situation.

[fjm.livejournal.com]

God she's brave.

[stillnotbored.livejournal.com]

I watched that piece of video and I was 18 again, watching the TV footage of Kent State. All I could think was thank God they didn't shoot her.

I have so much anger right now I don't even know where to aim it.

[sinboy.livejournal.com]

The response from GOP talking heads is *always* going to be that they were asking for it.

[wolodymyr.livejournal.com]

Heck, the response from insomnia is that they were asking for it.

[sinboy.livejournal.com]

I stopped reading anything hehad to say after in incident where he refused to put a cut tag on images of mutilated bodies in Iraq from his LJ when a friend who was getting PTSD triggered by seeing them asked him to.

[quercus.livejournal.com]

That's rather the point of doing it.

A "peaceful" protest starts out by recognising that it isn't going to be peaceful and you're going to wind up getting a kicking from the Modplod or the GOP. If you don't walk into it beforehand realising this (and keep on walking anyway), then when it does turn nasty, that tends to be when the pacifists turn angry and fight back. Chaos, and bad publicity, ensues.

[sinboy.livejournal.com]

Hm. I should re-phrase. The GOP talking head response is going to be that it was deserved, and an appropriate response.

The worst of them will probably suggest that protesters be executed for treason.

[glaucon.livejournal.com]

reminds me of the police riot on WTO Wednesday (http://www.black-rose.com/seattle-wto.html).

there was an amazing piece of footage from KIRO-TV (http://www.kirotv.com/index.html) (the only local news station other than the local public affairs c-span type station) that wasn't totally full of shit in their coverage. it showed a local resident of the Capitol Hill neighborhood where the cops were running amok. he looked like just some regular hipster doofus, not even involved in the protests at all. on the tape, he had just walked out of a record store and was carrying a cd or something. along come two cops in full riot gear, kick him in the balls, and proceed to mace him in the face while he's doubled over.

and that kind of shit happened over and over, all over town: to legitimate protesters, to Black Block anarchist agitators, to local neighborhood residents, to news reporters, even to one city council member. they didn't care - it was a police riot. the idea was to intimidate and maybe blow off a little steam after the hard day's law-enforcing on wednesday.

mad props to all who are currently getting or about to be getting gassed in saint paul. way to carry on the fight.

[cakmpls.livejournal.com]

I'm not doubting that it would happen, but do we know it's pepper spray, rather than a water hose? Her reaction seems rather subdued for it to be that big a dose of pepper spray.

I kind of hope it was water...not just because it would (in this amount and velocity) hurt her less, but because spraying peaceful protesters with water hoses, that brings up some dark memories for those of us of a certain age. A still from this clip begs to be paired with one of those famous pictures, but I have not the knowledge to do such.

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

It's a can of something. He takes it from his belt. I can't imagine it being water. She is plainly distressed, and when she gets hit the second time she reacts a lot more powerfully than a shot of water in the back would warrant.

[cakmpls.livejournal.com]

Thanks--it isn't playing very well on my media player, and I don't see the part where he takes it off his belt.

I still think it would be a great image paired up with some of the historical photos.

[commodorified.livejournal.com]

It is possible to react fairly calmly to pepper spray, especially if you were expecting it, have experienced it before, and and managed to close or shield your eyes. It's nasty stuff, but at this point, most people who go to protests have, I suspect, been sprayed a time or two and are learning how to handle it.

Having washed down with castile soap before going (to limit the oil on your skin, with which it reacts, as much as possible) also helps.