UC-Davis spent $175,000 trying to make sure you never saw this

[CaliCash]

UC Davis paid consultants at least $175,000 to clean up its online image after students and alumni were pepper sprayed by campus police during an otherwise peaceful protest in 2011.

Newly released documents obtained by the Sacramento Bee show the university worked to clean up both its own image and that of Chancellor Linda Katehi.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-uc-davis-pepper-spray-20160414-story.html

I watched the video and wow it’s disgusting. They weren’t even being combative. What’s even worse is that the cop who sprayed the students got a bigger payout for his “emotional distress.” than the students he assaulted.

Former University of California police officer John Pike, who in 2011 infamously pepper-sprayed a group of prone, arm-locked Occupy protesters at the system’s campus in Davis, will receive thousands of dollars more in compensation than his victims did.

Mr. Pike has been awarded $38,000 in workers’ compensation for “moderate” psychiatric distress caused by outrage against his pepper-spray action.

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2013/1024/Pepper-spray-cop-gets-bigger-payout-than-sprayed-students.-Wrong-message-video

[CaliCash]

Statement from UC Davis:

https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/statement-uc-davis

As part of this overall communications strategy, it is important that the excellent work underway at UC Davis with respect to educating the next generation of students, pursuing groundbreaking research, and providing important services to the State is not lost during a campus crisis, including the crisis that ensued following the extremely regrettable incident when police pepper-sprayed student protesters in 2011. Communication efforts during this time were part of the campus’s strategic communication strategy. In fact, one of the main objectives during this time was to train staff on how to effectively use digital media to improve engagement with our stakeholders.

[greenwitch]

Was his “moderate trauma” caused by the nickname Tubby McPornstache? I think the best revenge we can have is to make sure that name stays out there.

[greenwitch]

Pepper spray is banned from the battlefield. But it is perfectly safe for well trained officers to deploy on civilians. Worse than the Habanero or the Himalayan ghost pepper, and not available to ordinary citizens except at weak concentrations, it is dangerous to the respiratory system, more dangerous than tear gas. It leaves chemical burns, giving one the sensation of being set on fire, leading to bleeding and difficulty breathing even days later.

[widgetmidget]

I imagine this sort of things happens more often than you’d think. Not really surprising. In UC Davis’ case, the photo went viral and so finding it is easy. They’d have been better advised to simply wait. People forget.

[LasMa]

^^ Not just the photo. The internet took revenge, as it always does.

N.B. – I am NOT making light of the events, or of Davis’ actions in trying to whitewash them. This was the immediate reaction of people who were appalled.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/the-pepper-spraying-cop-meme#.kgWqBKvzR3