US: Apology, defence at Davis pepper-spray hearing

18 December 2011

State lawmakers grilled University of California officials last Wednesday over the controversial pepper-spraying of student protesters at UC Davis, only to be warned by those administrators, however conciliatory, that more protests are inevitable if the legislature keeps cutting funds for higher education, writes Michael J Mishak for the Los Angeles Times.

The university administrators gave a legislative committee the same combination of apology and defence they have offered since the incident sparked nationwide outrage last month and became a rallying point for the Occupy movement. UC President Mark G Yudof said the university had launched an independent investigation of the Davis incident and formed a task force to review its use of force and demonstration policies at all 10 campuses.

UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi said she expected student demonstrations to escalate in response to continued budget cuts. The hearing came a day after Governor Jerry Brown announced $100 million in reductions for each of the two university systems, on top of the $650 million hit they both took in the current budget.
Full report on the Los Angeles Times site

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