Protest for Tasered Student Meyer Continues

[shance]

Protest for Tasered Student Continues


By Kristin Smith
First Coast News

GAINESVILLE, FL -- Students at the University of Florida are still protesting after a classmate was tasered by police at a political event.

Andrew Meyer was asking Senator John Kerry a question at a forum when police asked him to wrap it up. In video from the event, you can see a struggle and then one of the six campus police officers uses a taser on him.

Tuesday, students held a rally on campus. Wednesday, they protested again.

Protesters are supporting Meyer and their own right to free speech.

"We want charges against Meyer dropped, the police officers involved punished, more than just being given a paid vacation, and tasers taken off campus," said Benjamin Dictor, a U.F. student and protester.

Two of the officers involved were put on paid administrative leave.

University police are getting an earful, not just from students, but from the community and beyond.

"We've gotten hundreds of phone calls, letters, and emails from the community and people in Canada and California, all over the place. Most of them are on the negative side, but it runs the gamut," said Captain Jeff Holcomb, with the U.F. police department.

Meyer faces several charges including resisting an officer with violence and disrupting a school function.

"It's about getting subpoenas to get people to testify, gathering all the evidence and information before making a decision on what to charge him with," said Spencer Mann with the Alachua County State Attorney's Office.

According to the police report, before Meyer started the questioning, he asked a friend, "Are you taping this? Do you have this? You Ready?"

But for the protesters, that tape is part of Meyer's defense.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/printfullstory.aspx?storyid=91664

[EFerrari]

1. I heard their first protest was a crowd of three hundred.

Good for them. Whatever you think of that guy.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

14. Keg stands and late night streaking party to follow?

"Dude, I totally told you I was gonna be famous! SWEEEEET! High fives all around!!!"

[Bluebear]

16. Or maybe writing another fine essay against the Iraq War?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1848386&mesg_id=1848386

[Catherine Vincent]

2. OMG!

Sorry to interrupt this thread, coming up next CNN will show a clip of a cop tasering this woman (who looks drunk). He tasers her several times as she screams. He wants her to walk to the car and everytime she falls down, he tasers her!:mad:

[Trillo]

5. There are a lot of these taser incidents,

and they are all related to the police use of tasers, but what I find fascinating is that people in greater numbers are beginning to say "enough" with the Pain Compliance that, since it isn't usually lethal, is increasingly being used by police to mete out punishment without the due process of the Judicial Branch prescribing it as a result of a determination of guilt or innocence!

Personally, I'm sick of the punishment-centered society run by predators.

[RangerRK]

8. I'm impressed they are playing that

What does it say about US when we accept this sort of thing?

[cui bono]

12. That video is disgusting. Looks like that guy is too lazy to put any effort into it

so he just keeps her on his taser leash like a dog and continually zaps her.

He should get rid of his beer belly and do his job correctly and humanely.

[_dynamicdems]

19. That was disgusting.

He should get jail time.

Sick bastard.

[hurricaneric]

3. it's ironic

while college kids in Florida rally for a young stupid white kid who staged a confrontation with police, real rally's are being held in Jena for our civil rights yet what do we here on DU choose to discuss? Same old BS. I'm getting tired of it.

[zeemike]

4. Both are about civil rights whether you know it or not.

And he did not stage anything with the police
If he did stage it it was a confrontation with Kerry. And it is our civil right (and duty) to confront our elected officials. The police injected themselves into this without cause.

[cui bono]

11. It's all civil rights. One doesn't negate the other.

Or do you think there's only finite amount of rights and we have to pick and choose who to rally behind?

I think the reason people are discussing this incident so much is that there's a huge amount of people on this so-called "progressive" board who just don't get it. They actually think this guy deserved to be tased. That's absolutely incredible and sickening. So this has to be discussed so that hopefully people will realize what they are saying is going to lead us right into a police state, and maybe see that we are really on the way there.

[Bluebear]

15. This "stupid white kid" wrote a hell of a column on the Iraq War>>>>

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1848386&mesg_id=1848386

[superkia]

18. Wheelchair-Bound Woman Dies After Being Shocked With Taser 10 Times

I think its a civil rights problem and if you don't like your rights than stop exercising them here and speaking. This is a very important issue to discuss, their is abuse and unlawful justice being inflicted before trial or guilt. If you or I tazered someone unjustly, you face a serious penalty, you can go to jail. Some officers are doing it unjustly and nothing happens, thats a problem.

[WillyT]

6. Big K & R !!!

:patriot::kick::patriot:

[Joanne98]

7. Good for them! K&R!

[Joanne98]

9. Ohio woman being tasered video.....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1867717

SHORT TASR STOCK!

[progressoid]

10. hmm...

"and tasers taken off campus"

Wonder if they feel the same way at Virginia Tech? I'm not taking a position on their demand. I just wonder how circumstances would change people's perspective on an armed police force.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

13. Virginia Tech?? What's that???

Just like our failing bridges and infrastructure, another issue quickly forgotten.......

[Whisp]

17. I still don't get this resisting arrest thing.

what crime did you commit?
cutting in line? speaking Loudly and maybe a bit too long?
inciting a riot of other loud talkers? assaulting a microphone?