#uc-davis

Remember this guy? Lt. John Pike by name, this cretin gained notoriety with his pepper-spray can. Now he's filing for "worker's compensation, claiming he suffered psychiatric injury from the incident. He has a settlement conference scheduled for August 13. Occupy will be there."

[caption id="attachment_3447" align="alignleft" width="104" caption="Chancellor's Katehi's Walk"][/caption]

Sometimes silence is more powerful, especially in the analog F2F world. After a press conference with UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi regarding Friday's brutal treatment of students, students lined the walkway as she left the building, protesting with silent stares as she walked three blocks to her car. You can hear every step.

There will be further announcements on Monday and the report which was to take ninety days now sounds as if it will be done in thirty. Two police officers have been put on administrative leave and University of California President Mark G. Yudof has had to weigh in on the incident.

It's surprising the degree with which those in power take a reactive stance and learn nothing from the past. Dousing Civil Rights demonstrators with water from fire hoses in the 1960's (which almost seems quaint in our increasing militarization of police units) only helped spread the movement. Over the past week, there's been a series of iconic incidents including an elderly activist in Seattle getting sprayed to students beaten with batons in Berkeley. There's enough justifiable anger at those on Wall Street; get everyone angry at you and the kettle will undoubtedly boil over. You really weren't the target, Chancellor, but you've become one now.

[caption id="attachment_5677" align="alignright" width="217" caption="Lt John Pike as Internet Meme"][/caption]

You knew it would happen, right? Lt John Pike "causal" pepper-spraying of students at UC-Davis protest has gone viral in more ways than one. Not only video (check out the incident from four perspectives simultaneously, if you like), but now he is spraying everything in sight, working his way through the history of art and iconic symbols of America as the latest Internet meme. There are a few interactive sites where you can play around with the images and you can always throw your creation up on the Tumblr site. Check out what's already been done at Lt. John Pike Pepper Spray Cop UC Davis Meme page on Facebook.

You guys over in the Philippine government’s Dept. of Public Works and Highways, you can rest easy now - you're off the hook (truthfully, you've been off for some time).