Originally Posted by PaulC

I'm not quite accepting the camping analogy, as clearly it was a protest, not an attempt to pitch a tent and toast marshmallows. If they were left to their own devices, how long would they have sat upon that sidewalk? Until dinnertime? Until commencement of their next class? What would have been wiser from the university's perspective: to be patient for awhile and let this situation fizzle out, or to have some fatarse strut around with a can of pepper spray while his actions were being recorded by approximately 50 smartphone cams?

Do you think that the police would have handled this situation differently if they forsaw the fallout from this debacle? Do you believe that the police have zero discretion as to how and when to apply the law under these circumstances?