February 02, 2012

Police pepper-spray Haka dancers

Police cleared in use of pepper spray on tribal dancers at Utah high school football game

By Paul FoyTwo police officers were cleared of wrongdoing Thursday for using pepper spray and a baton on a dozen spectators performing a traditional Polynesian war dance after a Utah high school's losing football game.

Uintah County Attorney G. Mark Thomas found that the two officers were justified in taking action because they feared a riot and because they were unfamiliar with the Haka war dance, which is a fan response popular at rugby matches and football games in other countries.
But:Joe Cohn, interim legal director for the ACLU of Utah, disagreed with that assessment and the county attorney's finding. "Force is lawful only when it's justified, and not for disobedience to orders—it's for officers who believe they face an immediate threat of danger. There's nothing in this report or investigation that indicates anyone was in any danger," he said.

"It was just 'make a hole, make a hole'—and smack."
Comment:  I didn't cover this earlier incident because the Haka is a Maori dance. And because I wasn't sure if there was a relevant issue here. But now it seems relevant. Police pepper-spray fans doing a scary indigenous dance. Savages on the warpath! Indians, immigrants, unionists, Commies, hippies, terrorists, and Occupiers...all trying to destroy America!! Look out!!!

And the powers that be excuse their own foot soldiers for attacking innocent civilians, naturally. This is about what happened in almost every US massacre of Indians, Koreans, Vietnamese, Afghans, Iraqis, et al. If you harm or kill a brown-skin under the cover of authority, our white Christian government usually will exonerate you. Being American means never having to say you're sorry.

For more on the subject, see WSJ: Maori Are "Googly-Eyed" and Maori Tribe Wants Haka Back.

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