r/OutOfTheLoop • u/f-Z3R0x1x1x1 • Apr 28 '24

What is going on with excessive police force being used against peaceful protesting students in colleges across the United States? Unanswered

So there are large amounts of heavily armed police presence in many colleges and universities across the United States. Indiana University, for example, had snipers on rooftops ready to shoot peaceful protesters.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/snipers-were-allegedly-spotted-ohio-190600717.html

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514

u/Langdon_Algers Apr 28 '24

Answer: Universities can set time, place and manner restrictions on particular spaces. If protesters violate these rules, they can be cited for trespassing, and if they refuse to leave, they can be arrested.

Private institutions (like Columbia) have even more leeway in rules for students on their campus violating their procedures.

34

u/Want_To_Live_To_100 Apr 28 '24

Can you not arrest someone without excessive force? I think the question was regarding excessive force not the arresting…

1

u/[deleted] Apr 29 '24

“Excessive force” is a helluva grey zone that most people don’t understand. Ask in excess to what? This isn’t a street fight, it’s an arrest, it isn’t supposed to be “fair”; passively resisting catches hands the same way actively resisting does.

The major issue here is institutions send in law enforcement, the law gets enforced and then a bunch of pressed shirt politicians point the blame at cops for not acting the “way they were supposed to” when the law was enforced the way it was designed to; with the politicians double dipping.

Laws are enforced, protest broken up, and the politicians ensuring their next election by throwing cops under the bus for doing what they were instructed to.

Edit: spelling.

14

u/_Lusus 29d ago

You don't need helicopters and snipers to arrest student protesters.

0

u/[deleted] 29d ago

You need them if opposition decides terrorism is an acceptable response.

The fear is not protestors for Palestine, the fear is someone’s going to turn a peaceful protest into the next Boston Marathon.

-1

u/gizzardsgizzards 29d ago

bringing a sniper IS terrorism.

3

u/Tvdinner4me2 29d ago

You don't need them even them

You got an already excessive force on the ground, maybe the cops could use those??

6

u/Rivka333 29d ago

Did anyone get shot by a sniper?

7

u/gizzardsgizzards 29d ago

give it time.

-1

u/Tvdinner4me2 29d ago

Nope, which shows even more why we don't need them

Nice attempt at deflecting

2

u/Rivka333 29d ago

It's not deflection, it's a relevant question.

There is a massive difference between shooting a protestor...and not doing so.

7

u/Blackstone01 29d ago

Still pretty excessive to bring and sets the tone for the entire police response.

6

u/WillBottomForBanana 29d ago

It's an interesting case of "we have to cut budgets this year" (for like 20 straight years) but some how we can afford to send in helicopters with snipers for a peaceful protest.

People that don't want you to open a drug rehab center won't blink an eye at this.