WTH?? I don't care what they were saying or yelling or what may have come before the filming started. I saw nothing that warranted the point of the baton into bodies the way the one cop there seems to almost enjoy himself in doing. What is the story with the girl though? It's obvious which cop started this melee, but the others seem to hit her just as quickly whenever she is within range.

That vid is outrageous to see and I sure think some action needs taken against at least 2 cops there, if not 4 of them. That lower left corner shot to the face was downright vicious. Are they trying to build more hate and anger for future confrontations?? They sure did it here, and for what?? I just don't see anything to justify it....

aren't you allowed to hit back. isn't self defence to use force to stop a police officer from cracking your head open with a baton.

Evolution provided us with opposable thumbs so that we may, should the time arise, snatch billy clubs away from abusive police, and take said police down a peg or two.

Is it wrong that I thought the person filming this should've thrown something at these cops, maybe some boiling oil? You never hit a woman, and you never EVER target their stomachs for damn sure. What if she were pregnant and not showing yet? This sort of unwarranted violence is why I know that this country, this planet will not ever change without force from the people. I don't usually lose my cool, but when I finished watching this footage, I found it difficult to unclench my fist. Disgusting behavior, no matter what the verbal provocation.

JibbyJedi and I are in agreement. The time for pleasantries has passed.


~FugitiveSoul

You would think that these people would get fed up with these vicious attacks and stay at home, or do what they should have done with the first baton strike and STRIKE BACK!

Wow, don't know what to say about that.....

Holy crap... like someone above said.. no matter what was done before the video started, i really doubt it warranted a response like that...

Jibby, that video is a spitting image of what is happening right now, specially the batons right at the beginning

Those college kids should have gotten their paint ball guns and had fun on the cops.Paintball Berkeley 2011

The local police department have released the names of the offending officers, right?
No. Of course not. That would be too easy. That would be admitting to being thugs and bought mercenaries.
There was nothing threatening in the behavior of the crowd. The cop simply wanted to pick a fight, or hurt someone in the comfort of the companionship of his fellow thugs.

That's a cowardly thug. That's not an officer of the law. I hold you in absolute contempt and consider you the worst of humanity. You are what is wrong with the world.

You coward.

Sometimes I can't help but wonder if there are two different species roaming around this planet who happen to look the same on a superficial level.
I don't understand how you could beat someone else's daughter with a nightstick and then go home at the end of the day to your own kids.
What is going on in their minds that allows them to do these things and then live with their selves afterwards?

The police attacked without apparent provocation. The people responded by pulling the injured to safety and shielding them. It's infuriating, but the people handled it just as they should have. Non-violent resistance.

The whole Occupy movement was intended from the start to be a non-violent protest. The people are now moving toward D.C. I'm concerned that this could set off attacks by police that are more aggressive.

This seems really unwarranted and just plain WRONG. But it also seems that they came to their senses before it escalated into disaster...maybe because the protesters united in their chant? Maybe someone was yelling "back off" in their ears? maybe both? In any event, unreal.

Also, is it just me and what I've happened to look at, or are the California cops worse than others we've seen at the protests? (This is California, right?)

"the police, this nations 'peace' sent here to run you"

rap lyrics from about 10+ years ago...

but to be fair.. I got arrested recently, and the cop could have charged me with a more serious crime, but I got off easy... small town.

I could be wrong but I'm willing to bet that this will not get media coverage here in the states. Yes it's in California, and yes it's very close to Oakland where recently we have seen some clashes between protestors and police recently.

This video seems to speak for itself - A little bit of police brutality can be the catalyst that escalates this situation into something worse. They really need to show restraint since it's in their best interest to maintain control, and in this case they did not and lashing out at protestors is a surefire way for a city (or county, state, nation etc) to lose it's ability to control a populace.

California really knows how to set the trend, generally speaking.

What really saddens me is that this country went through so much hell back in the 60's, sacrificed so much only for things to go full circle where we have to get beat down all over again if the people are to ever have their say.
All the struggle for Civil rights and against War has been wasted - look at where we are today.

If we EVER get back in control of our own government again, for God's sake let's not let these same criminals run our affairs again.

Violence will only end badly for the protesters, don't goad them on. They show amazing self-restraint to not be charging that puny line of cops and taking them all down. (not that they wouldn't have deserved it).
Cops hitting little girls with batons?
My blood is boiling right now.