I don't know where it is written that police have to be so brutal? This was a peaceful non-violent protest. Just a girl in a tree with a sign. Not by any stretch of the imagination was she a threat to public order or society. The police completely transformed the situation by threatening violence first (would taser Emily), and then using violence first (pepperspray). If all the police got back from the crowd were a few curse words (the protesters didn't say, "get the police" or "hurt the police," they just expressed their opinion of the police. They didn't threaten the police any harm, just made editorial comments about the police), common sense tells us that the police were darn lucky that this was the way things went (just getting some expletives in return), given the way they kept making the situation worse and worse with their over zealous need to use their toys (big) fire trucks and ladders, and (small) tasers and pepperspray.

It seems very unlikely these police, who are as thick as planks and show this kind of sub par judgment, really are up to the job. Smart, compassionate, nonzealous police would be a great thing to have. I'm sure there are people like that who can do that job for us here in Rochester.