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NEWS > U.S.A. > PEPPER SPRAY ATTACKS ON PROTESTORS A THING OF THE PAST WITH MILITARY WEAPONS INBOUND
PEPPER SPRAY ATTACKS ON PROTESTORS A THING OF THE PAST WITH MILITARY WEAPONS INBOUND
November 24 2011
Davis, CA – In any major movement there is often a catalyzing event, a single moment, usually captured on film, that defines the moment for everyone both inside and outside the movement. For the Occupy movement that moment was, undoubtedly, the image of a police officer casually pepper spraying students at UC Davis.
That image has become the most iconic one of the movement, motivation for the protestors and a gotcha moment for the government which is now facing a much angrier mob. The officer at the centre of that controversy has, as one would expect, taken his lumps and been suspended but his legacy is lasting much, much longer.
While the casual brutality of that incident, which was quickly followed by attacks with batons, has become a symbol of the movement, it could have been much worse and if lawmakers across the country have their way, the next time it will be as police agencies across the country start to equip themselves with military grade weapons.
“Pepper spray and tasers are old technology, things which are still in regular usage simply because no one has really pushed through the upgrades. That is starting to change, though, and very soon we will start seeing better equipment in the hands of
police,” said one representative for the city of Davis. “We have been hamstrung by this old technology but very soon it will be gone. If we have had this before we would not have this image of the pepper spraying officer that has really caused us so much embarrassment.”
Police in Davis are still currently equipped with standard police gear but more and more agencies across the country are starting to utilize higher end gear such as grenade launchers and automatic rifles.
Other high end military technology such as lasers and sound weapons are amongst the tools being leased to some police agencies around the country.
“This new technology will really make the difference in these types of situations. It will allow our men and women to disperse these types of crowds at distance, safe from danger and from cameras and that will make this whole process a lot easier on all of us,” continued the representative. “Obviously we wish we had had this technology a couple of weeks ago but you live and you learn. One thing we do know is that these
types of problems just won’t be problems going forward. A picture of a giant sonic weapons is far less compelling than of an officer spraying people in the face and that is what we are trying to avoid.”
Most of the weapons being transferred to civilian forces are surplus gear, older weapons, and it is not clear how many advanced dispersion weapons such as lasers are in surplus.
A number of armoured personnel carriers have also been allocated for civilian use. Davis is reportedly on the list to receive the first shipment of Blackhawk helicopters and F-18’s sent to surplus.
Mike Michaels, American Correspondent
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