Despite the apparent cruelty of UC Davis police personnel pepper spraying Occupy UC Davis demonstrators, the police had every right to do what they did.
The Occupy Everywhere Movement is getting out of control. They were out of control from the very beginning, when they started pitching tents and taking up public space against the wishes of the rest of the local community, and to the detriment of local merchants attempting to make money.
Rather than lambasting isolated incidents of excessive force, where a number of police officers have felt that their lives were on the line in the face of raging hordes, we ought to respect that free speech becomes a problem when the freedom of association and commerce are frustrated in turn.
I believe we owe a show of thanks to peace officers, from New York to Los Angeles, who have withstood the corporate en masse whining and deviant complaining of disaffected masses who refuse to get a job, who refuse to participate in the political process, who refuse to respect the rights of others, and whose refusal to abide by state law is a refutation of law and order, core elements for the stability of any society.