“show solidarity and support to the students who were beaten and sprayed by U. C. Davis police in riot gear.”
Police Chief at U.C.-Davis Put on Leave in Pepper Spray Incident - NYTimes.com
*As sympathetic as I am to the Occupy people, and as much as I think the use of force here was inappropriate, I find the suggestion that the police when confronting a large crowd whom they intended to remove from the location, by arresting if necessary ought to be wearing anything * other * than riot gear more than a little silly.
If we suppose, for the sake of argument, that they had been given a lawful order to remove the protestors (granted, possibly a big if indeed!), then it seems perfectly appropriate that the police should take reasonable precautions against officers getting harmed. Crowds are dicey things.*
