CUCFA Condemns Police Violence Against Non-Violent Protesters

The Davis Faculty Association is the Davis chapter of the Council of UC Faculty Associations, which has published (cucfa.org) the following:

The Council of UC Faculty Associations Condemns Police Violence Against Non-Violent Protesters

This week, we have seen excessive force used against non-violent protesters at UC Berkeley, UCLA, CSU Long Beach, and UC Davis. Student, faculty and staff protesters have been pepper-sprayed directly in the eyes and mouth, beaten and shoved by batons, dragged by the arms while handcuffed, and submitted to other forms of excessive force. Protesters have been hospitalized because of injuries inflicted during these incidents. The violence was unprovoked, disproportional and excessive.

We are outraged by the excessive and unnecessary force used against peaceful protests.

We are outraged that the administrations of UC campuses are using police brutality to suppress dissent, free speech and peaceful assembly.

We demand that the Chancellors of the University of California cease using police violence to repress non-violent political protests. We hold them responsible for the violence and believe it can only result in an escalation of outrage that holds the potential for even more violence.

Police brutality damages the University’s public image, and, more importantly, it damages the climate for free expression at UC. We condemn the assault on the legacy of free speech at the University of California.

We call for greater attention to the substantive issues that motivate the protests regarding the privatization of education. With massive cuts in state funding and rising tuition costs across the community college system, the Cal State network, K-12, and the University of California, public education is undergoing a severe divestment. Student debt has reached unprecedented levels as bank profits swell. We decry the growing privatization and tuition increases that have been the frequent — and only — responses of the UC Board of Regents.

Signed,
The Board of the Council of UC Faculty Associations

 

The above statement has been turned into a petition by Progressive Change. We encourage you to sign.

22 Comments

  1. As alumni of CSU Long Beach I am saddened to learn that student protests have been put down by campus police using chemical weapons, with student arrested and prevented from attending a meeting about their tuition being raised. Tuition, I might add, that they must pay.

    When I attended CSULB in 1989-1991, it cost $500 a semester. Adjusted for inflation that is $823 a semester in 2010 dollars. That is what it should cost today.

    I am furious that the school is overcharging students and then using violence to suppress them when they protest.

    Greta Hassakis
    Class of 1991

  2. The school is overcharging students… so where is all this money going? State officials must be getting rich off the tuition they cahrge…. California is broke… I’m sure the oerating costs are higher than what the students are paying

  3. The Chancellor of UCD earns in excess of 400k per annum, plus generous benefits and retirement. In addition, she lives free of charge in university provided luxury housing at no charge to her…it’s part of the package. Does she wonder why students are protesting?

  4. Not to mention the participation of the UC system in making nuclear weapons in New Mexico. We want the UC out of New Mexico. Your Hitlerian brown shirt tactics with the public and students extends to the entire world. The cops are really asking for it… What punks.

  5. The chancellor has to resign because like it or not, she’s responsible for what happens on her campus and she should have made sure that her police force did not use force of this kind. She’s responsible – a 90-day task force will not make this any more clear. The world is watching – the reputation internationally for UC Davis has been tarnished and has made the history books as a campus which, under her leadership, used excessive force on its students.

    You have no choice really — she simply must go.

  6. not the best week for UCD!!

    on monday a former student filed a lawsuit against the university and two of its employees. now this.

    the police chief needs to go. the cop the pepper sprayed the students needs to go.

  7. I think Katehi should resign immediately!

    Either get Katehi to resign, or take administrative disciplinary action to have her removed! Someone must be held accountable for Katehi’s failings, obviously Katehi should be held responsible.

  8. I spotted this story on the BBC website.
    My first thought was that it’s outrageous that pepper spray was used against a peaceful protest.
    Unfortunately my second thought was that it’s a shame that an association representing academic staff doesn’t know that the word they want is “disproportionate”.

  9. Look, the important thing is the position recruiting process and compensation package. If it is true the Chancellor receives $500K salary plus housing plus a driver (etc?), that does not reflect well for a public education institution. Tamp down the compensation. Make them pay their own mortgage and driver out of their own paycheck, like the rest of us (99). What a concept.

  10. I read about this on the BBC website. We are all disgusted. Please let us know if there is anything we can do from our distant shores. We will write to who you want, as many times as you want, to make this happen.

  11. “The First Amendment (Amendment I) to the United States Constitution prohibits abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering with the right to peaceably assemble or prohibiting the petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances.”

    It’s the FIRST one, friends. Numero UNO. The Big Kahuna.

  13. You have restored my faith in people and those at UC Davis. Thank you for having the conscience and courage to speak out. May your words be heard and may they spur change immediately. What happened to your students is disgusting.

    Thank you!

  14. Everyone complaining about the $400k salary for the Chancellor needs to realize there is a bigger problem here. You currently attract the best staff by, well, paying them the most and providing the best benefits. These people bring real experience and energy to a campus. They make things happen, like it or not.

    The salaries are excessive, but singling out and cutting ONE person’s salary isn’t going to do much. Future Chancellors will simply not want to work at UC Davis because they can’t compete in salary and benefits.

    The problem must be addressed higher up – NO chancellor should receive such benefits over a certain amount/degree. This applies for lawyers, CEOs, many folks who are currently overpaid in a way that is disproportionate to their benefit to society and skill set.

  19. The front page of the UC Davis web site now has a huge picture of Chancellor Katehi with the words “I’m here to apologize.” With such slick marketing you have to wonder if Chancellor Katehi hired a public relations firm to help restore her image. The Chancellor’s appearance at the rally yesterday was nothing more than a chance to generate media to be used in her PR campaign.

  22. Live streaming video from independent journalists on the ground at nonviolent protests around the U.S. & worldwide-http://99er.me

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