The Politics of Pepper Spray and Tear Gas from Egypt to America David Swanson, Kevin Zeese, Prof. Nathan Brown, UC Davis

Talk Nation Radio for November 24, 2011

The Politics of Pepper Spray and Tear Gas from Egypt to America
David Swanson, Kevin Zeese, Nathan Brown, UC Davis

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Produced by Dori Smith in Storrs, CT
TRT: 29:15
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Clip: The Guardian’s Jack Shenker in Cairo 11-19-2011, from this story Egypt: violent clashes in Cairo leave two dead and hundreds injured, Egyptian security forces open fire on thousands of protesters in Tahrir Square, leaving two dead and more than 600 injured

Protests around the world have been met with increasing force from police and military from Tahrir Square, in Egypt to the campuses of Berkley and UC Davis in California. One of the biggest concerns is the use of tear gas, and American students and their teachers and parents are speaking out against the heavy use of pepper spray by police who were called in to disperse peaceful student protesters. A petition by Professor Nathan Brown who teaches English at UC Davis has been gathering momentum. According to Brown, police not only went back and forth spraying pepper spray into the faces of students who were kneeling with arms locked. They also sprayed pepper spray into their mouths after forcing them open. The scandal has rocked the campus and parents and students are deeply traumatized. As we hear from Brown though, the main story of tuition hikes and privatization is being overlooked.

Students and professors at UC Berkley and UC Davis campuses in California say they feel terrorized by police. Students and professors the target of what our guest Professor Nathan Brown calls police brutality. Brown also says the problem is the way private money is pouring in. He also discusses UC Davis police who allegedly forced student’s mouths open and sprayed pepper spray in their mouths. (See below for an open letter that serves as a sample letter to the American manufacturer of tear gas Combined Systems, their product was shipped to Egypt. Also we’ll link to information about companies which manufacture pepper spray.)

Nathan Brown’s research and teaching focus is on 20th and 21st century poetry and poetics, continental philosophy, and science/technology studies. He is in the English Dept. at UC Davis. His petition calling on UC Davis Chancellor Katehi to resign had about 73000 signatures as of noon November 23rd.

Activists David Swanson and Kevin Zeese also joins us. They are in Washington D.C. where the Occupy Washington DC movement has been joined by Occupy Wall Street protesters (Occupy the Highways) who walked from New York to the nation’s capital. Kevin Zeese joins us from a protest under way at the Hart Building calling attention to the reality that the Super Committee could have addressed the deficit through easy steps were it not for political gridlock in Congress. See video here.

Protesters are expected to turn out in large numbers on December 6th for a day of action for the Occupy Wall Street movement over Foreclosures. The group pointing out that nowhere is this disparity of wealth and power more evident than in the struggle to secure the human right to housing.

See Petition below asking UC Davis Chancellor Katehi to resign, including the Davis Faculty Association and thousands more from the campus community

Press Release, Nathan Brown’s Petition Causing a Stir
November 22, 2011

David Buscho was sitting peacefully on a sidewalk, linking arms with other students in protest at the University of California at Davis. The disturbing video shows a campus police officer in riot gear calmly walk up to the students on the ground and attack them with pepper spray at point-blank range.

Occupy protests at other campuses have gone on peacefully, but UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi allowed her campus police to ruthlessly attack students who were sitting silently on the sidewalk.

UC Davis professor Nathan Brown gave a chilling account of what happened to David and other students: “When students covered their eyes with their clothing, police forced open their mouths and pepper-sprayed down their throats,” Brown said. “Several of these students were hospitalized.”

Now David is leading a campaign on Change.org demanding that Chancellor Katehi resign from the school for allowing her students to be attacked by campus police during a peaceful protest. Add your name to his petition now.

David has been active in his city’s protests as part of the national Occupy Wall Street movement. This month he and other students started an occupation of their campus, specifically protesting an 81% increase in tuition costs and rising student loan debts.
But just 10 days into their occupation, UC Davis police unleashed an attack on their own students. “Chancellor Katehi authorized excessive police force on students exercising their right to free speech on our own campus,” said David.

The UC Davis community won’t stand for it. In just 24 hours, more than 40,000 people have joined David’s campaign calling on UC Davis Chancellor Katehi to resign, including the Davis Faculty Association and thousands more from the campus community. Rather than consider resigning, Chancellor Katehi tried to downplay the event, merely asking a task force to prepare a report within 90 days. Now Chancellor Katehi is under huge pressure to step down for this attack, and your signature will help tip the scales.
Please sign David’s petition asking UC Davis Chancellor Katehi to step down for pepper-spraying her own students. Click here to add your name.

Sample Letter to PA Tear Gas Company
To: JimMarth@combinedsystems.com
cc: mm@pointlookoutcapital.com

Nov. 22, 2011

We call on Combined Systems to cancel its sales to the military regime running Egypt and suspend any deliveries to those armed forces. It’s dictatorial rule violates all democratic norms. The regime killed thousands of people in January and over 30 in this last week. Huge amounts of your tear gas have been used in Tahrir Square against democratic forces. Photos of your shells are freely circulating on the internet. At least 3 people have been alleged to have asphyxiated from tear gas in the last week.

You should also consider legal consequences. You may be participating in crimes against humanity.

Stanley Heller
Chairperson
Middle East Crisis Committee
Woodbridge, CT