Proof of the power of non-violence

Following is a breif YouTube video shot at the University of California-Davis of President Linda Katehi as she walked to her car last week, after the University Police pepper-sprayed peaceful, protesting students on campus, apparently at least with her awareness, if not her explicit direction: I think it very powerful. We will overcome.

Anarchy, chaos and intimidation for their own "entertainment" brought to you by the youth of Kansas City

What happened Saturday night, according to the Police's own log, taken from a link at Police Chief Corwin's blog, because we need to know what happened:

• Crowds began to gather in front of businesses, blocking the entrances and exits, and would not move. Officers were deployed on foot to move crowds.

• Traffic was at a standstill and traffic was requested to assist with traffic flow.

• Helicopter responded after numerous crowds began to run and numerous fight calls were received. He spent at least 3 hours overhead assisting officers with their movement and following the crowds.

• The Classic Cup, 301 West 47th was a central focus and had numerous large disturbances in front of the business. Several complaints were received from patrons at this location and their fear of being hurt.

• We responded to PF Changs to assist with clearing juveniles out of the restrooms. They were harassing customers and blocking the foyer of the business.

• During one of the large disturbances along 47th street a knife was located lying on the sidewalk in the middle of the crowd.

• As the juveniles were circling the Plaza they were grabbing flowers, flower pots, and damaging various greenery around the Plaza.

• A Plaza medic responded to treat a 16 year old girl who got run over by one of the stampedes. She had several abrasions but was not seriously hurt.

• Citizens were continually stopping officers and complaining of the crowds, that they were being pushed and shoved, and that the kids were trying to intimidate them.

• Plaza Security had to assist with walking patrons to their vehicles due to the number of request for escorts due to fear of their safety.

• The foot/traffic flow became so bad that the Horse and Buggy Operation had to close due to cancellations along with the inability to function.

• Every time there was interaction with any of the juveniles obscenities were flowing freely along with disrespect not only for authority but anyone they came into contact with.

• At approximately 2200 hours the situation was at a flash point and a mass exit of patrons was observed due to the disorder going on.

• As a couple exited the Cheesecake Factory, dressed in tuxedo and formal dress for prom, the female was shoved into the fountain by a group of juveniles who then ran and not apprehended.

• As the flash point hit officers had to deploy pepper spray to disperse the crowds to minimize injury to citizens. Numerous MK-46’s were emptied along with 12-13 MK-9’s being emptied to get the crowd to move.

• Numerous businesses contacted police in regards to wanting to make complaints. Also, citizens from out of town asked officers on several occasions if this was normal or stated they would not come back.

• In a parking garage at Nichols and Pennsylvania, a husband and wife were jumped by approximately 15 juveniles. They were assaulted and then the suspects took the husbands glasses and the wife’s purse.

Say, side note, where are you planning to have dinner Saturday night?

KC Police Chief Corwin's response to Saturday's Plaza brawl

From his blog:

Plaza incident

"As you’ve probably heard, large crowds of juveniles converged on the Country Club Plaza on Saturday night and wreaked havoc throughout. They intimidated shoppers and diners, destroyed property, committed a strong-arm robbery, and a juvenile suffered severe head injuries in an aggravated assault. Police took control of the crowds using traffic crews to close streets, pepper spray to disperse the crowds and a helicopter overhead to help officers on the ground find the most troublesome areas."

"We will be taking a number of measures to ensure those who shop, visit, dine at and stroll around Kansas City’s historic Plaza area can do so without fear. We will be meeting with the Plaza Merchant’s Association, NAACP and others to put together the best possible plan to allow Plaza patrons to fully enjoy themselves while keeping disorder at bay. We plan strict enforcement this weekend and for future weekends, and it will be mobile in case problems arise elsewhere."

"We will be closely following the development of any similar events. If you hear of a group planning to organize something like this, please call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS. You will remain anonymous, and you could save someone’s life. As I mentioned, one young man was seriously hurt in Saturday night’s incident."

Uh, right, Chief. I'm sure they're going to call. You'd better get back to your office right away and wait for it to come in.

Reading through the lines here, I make this predictable prediction: Cinemark will no longer allow teens to come to movies there, without parents, as it used to be.

Link to original post here: http://kcpdchief.blogspot.com/2010/04/plaza-incident.html

Saturday night's blow up--the only two things that matter

Let's call this what this was--a melee'--as I said before.

It wasn't "riot" and it certainly wasn't a "race riot", since it isn't one group against another.

You can even call it a "flash mob" as some have but a "flash mob", up to this point has meant people that get together to entertain others and create a fleeting event.

This was a flash mob that was created only to entertain themselves, at the rather big expense of others.

Two things, then, call out to me about this incident this past Saturday evening on the Plaza.

First, it seems insane that these kids coordinated this anarchy and chaos for entertainment.

There's no other way to describe it. It was simply anarchy and chaos for entertainment.

And how do you combat that?

Anyone who says you don't need or use pepper spray, then, needs to go down there and work with the police to get and keep things under control.

The second thing about this is that this is the third week in a row this has happened and, as the weather warms and word gets out, it's increasing in the number of people who participate. Good luck to us in May, June and the rest of the Summer if this isn't under control rather quickly. As in, immediately.

So if you're the government of the City of Kansas City, Missouri, or the Mayor or the Chief of Police or part of the Police Department or Highwoods Properties or their security staff, the only question is how do you stop it from happening again?

Police say they were ready; Mayor says it was "unexpected"

According to NBC Action News , the police say they expected some action, of one sort or another, on the Plaza this last Saturday night, they just weren't for the increased numbers of kids in the crowds.

The Mayor?

In his own words, he said that the melee' was "unexpected".

It may be "unexpected" by him and his office--not a big shock--but his own police department did expect it. There's a shock, huh?

Let's see--it happened two weeks in a row, apparently, before this weekend but his office didn't expect it.

To Mayor Funkhouser: we aren't surprised.

One is the loneliest number

After watching local Kansas City blogs over the weekend, since Saturday night, up to this moment, I've come to the conclusion that I must be the only blogger who lives on the Plaza.

The silence is pretty deafening.