UC Davis student mobilizes 1,000 of his fellow students in a collective shaming of the chancellor.
But the action by about one thousand UC Davis students tonight, at a central building on campus called “Surge III,” takes the cake as the most stunning activism I’ve been fortunate enough to witness.
After the outrage of the Friday pepper spray attack by UC Davis police, who were acting on orders from the UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi, a press conference was called this afternoon. I listened to the call, and heard Katehi claim that she was acting in the best “health” interests of the students. I heard her dismiss the calls by faculty for her resignation as “blog” talk. But then I witnessed the students amassing outside the press conference, demanding a voice in the matter.
What transpired was awe-inspiring. I wrote up an account and you can read it here. I just posted a new extended video, of a young man who was among the kids affected by pepper spray on Friday, and it shows him leading the 1,000-strong Davis students in an incredibly disciplined, surprisingly restrained, collective shaming of the chancellor as she walked to her car. There was no intimidation or ‘hostage taking,’ as I understand some in the Sacramento media are portraying it — not to be cliche, but it was pure nonviolent people power.
Watch below:
For a look at my coverage of the UC Davis pepper spraying scandal:
– Breaking Video: UC Davis Chancellor Emerges From Press Conf, Tells Me She Didn’t Feel Threatened
– Exclusive: Pepper Sprayed Davis Undergrad Speaks Out, Says Chancellor Ignored Her, Hasn’t Reached Out At All
– Audio: UC Davis Chancellor Katehi Dismisses Faculty Calls For Resignation
– Police: Use Of Pepper Spray On Unarmed Youth: ‘Compliance Tool … Fairly Standard Procedure’
Thank you for checking out my blog (and thank you Brad DeLong, AmericaBlog, Greg Mitchell, BoingBoing and Reddit for my first major links). I just started it last night and it’s been fun to update it for its first day in existence. I’ll be adding some posts about my new writing at The Nation, my old writing at ThinkProgress, and some of the projects I will be taking on in the coming weeks and months.
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Nothing better than a perp walk.
zackly
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Gallows at the end of that trail. Traitor to the human race.
Check yourself. The power of this moment is in its nonviolence.
yes, the true power of “soul force’!
“Non-violent people power”…exhibited by students teaching their elders. Thank you for posting this stunning piece of film.
brandon has a 70 year old in his circle.
I was 21 in 1962.
I say: My elders haven’t learned what the protesters of the 60′s were teaching. They are more about medical care than freedom.
Getting the Grand Kids into A GOOD College creates inequality.
Following BoingBoing link, I’m here and want to thank you all (from Québec, Canada). This is so beautiful and inspiring… I was wondering last days about the necessity (or not) of violence in “successful” activism. This is a precious data point.
The look in her eyes tells everything.
You’re writing history, keep up.
The Chancellor must resign!
This is the standard to which all occupations should be held. Nothing less than awe inspiring. MLK, Ghandi and Thoreau are standing among you. Words fall short in praise of this truly revolutionary and ingenious action. Bless you all. Solidarity and Sanity.
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Gassing of millions was standard in Nazi Germany…shame on any police officer who believes it was right to spray these protestors…
Similar police brutality at Berkeley – they used billy clubs instead of gas. Seems like it is more widespread than just Davis.
They must feel incredibly threatened.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/20/opinion/sunday/at-occupy-berkeley-beat-poets-has-new-meaning.html?_r=1&ref=opinion
Time to discern on where we spend our money.
For corporations that oppress us and use profits from our dollars to lobby against us? Stop drinking Coke, Pepsi and start drinkingorganic sodas and beverages. Do your research.
Threaten to Withhold tuition for next semester– ???
The power in where you spend your dollars is unbelievable. ZZZIpy has it exactly right. Take out a little time and see how you can change the foods you buy, the toilet paper, the cleaning supplies under your sink. If you stop buying from the major food corporations, it will help our situation in so many ways.
It might be hard at first. I know many stores don’t have a lot of options, but as you flex that buying power, those stores will start stocking what people are buying. Right now, they tell us what to buy. Make informed, sustainable choices, and the merchants will not be able to ignore the trend. You will start to see better choices on the shelves.
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So much more powerful than anything else the students could have done. A true walk of shame. Thank you for this inspiring video. I look forward to following you.
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I am in awe of the non-violent ,innovative collective silence implemented in this action. It is so powerful in that it goes beyond using our voices. I applaud it and sense it has raised the level of awareness in the movement.
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