Los Angeles:
A California college pledged on Wednesday to investigate the use of pepper spray on protesting students, after three people were taken to hospital, but criticized those who had behaved unlawfully.
About 30 people were treated for pepper spray exposure after angry students scuffled with officers at a meeting on Tuesday evening of the board of trustees of Santa Monica College. Three went to hospital but were later released.
More than 100 students turned out for the meeting to discuss a two-tier fee system to go into effect, increasing the cost of attending the college in Santa Monica, west of Los Angeles.
The meeting room was too small, so a room next door was opened with direct video link -- but students wanted to protest in person, and when some tried to get into the main room, police used pepper spray, said a college spokesman.
Amateur footage showed students, chanting "Shame on you," being held back by police. Later several students can be seen clutching their eyes and faces in obvious pain, running away from the crowd.
Student Kayleigh Wade told KTLA-5 TV that a four-year-old child was among those sprayed.
"They did it with no warning. They didn't say anything like, 'Hey, if you guys don't back off we're going to pepper spray you,' they just did it," she said.
Protestor Michael Burnett added: "A police officer sort of stumbled and lost his balance, got back up and I guess he panicked and just pulled out the pepper spray, and just started spraying this crowd indiscriminately."
College President Chui L. Tsang acknowledged that one officer used pepper spray -- but insisted police had used restraint.
"When some of these demonstrators used force to enter the board room proper... there was one discharge of pepper spray used by a SMC police officer to preserve public and personal safety," he said in a statement.
"Unfortunately, a number of bystanders, including college staff, students and other police personnel were affected."
But he added: "Although a number of participants at the meeting engaged in unlawful conduct, Santa Monica College police personnel exercised restraint and made no arrests."
"Santa Monica College regrets that a group of people chose to disrupt a public meeting in an unlawful manner. The college has launched a full investigation into the matter," he said.
The incident recalls a row over the use of pepper spray on students at a University of California campus last November, in which a police chief was put on administrative leave.
Amateur video of that protest showed an officer in riot gear walking along a line of students seated on the ground, and pepper spraying them in the face apparently for refusing to stand up and leave.
About 30 people were treated for pepper spray exposure after angry students scuffled with officers at a meeting on Tuesday evening of the board of trustees of Santa Monica College. Three went to hospital but were later released.
More than 100 students turned out for the meeting to discuss a two-tier fee system to go into effect, increasing the cost of attending the college in Santa Monica, west of Los Angeles.
The meeting room was too small, so a room next door was opened with direct video link -- but students wanted to protest in person, and when some tried to get into the main room, police used pepper spray, said a college spokesman.
Amateur footage showed students, chanting "Shame on you," being held back by police. Later several students can be seen clutching their eyes and faces in obvious pain, running away from the crowd.
Student Kayleigh Wade told KTLA-5 TV that a four-year-old child was among those sprayed.
"They did it with no warning. They didn't say anything like, 'Hey, if you guys don't back off we're going to pepper spray you,' they just did it," she said.
Protestor Michael Burnett added: "A police officer sort of stumbled and lost his balance, got back up and I guess he panicked and just pulled out the pepper spray, and just started spraying this crowd indiscriminately."
College President Chui L. Tsang acknowledged that one officer used pepper spray -- but insisted police had used restraint.
"When some of these demonstrators used force to enter the board room proper... there was one discharge of pepper spray used by a SMC police officer to preserve public and personal safety," he said in a statement.
"Unfortunately, a number of bystanders, including college staff, students and other police personnel were affected."
But he added: "Although a number of participants at the meeting engaged in unlawful conduct, Santa Monica College police personnel exercised restraint and made no arrests."
"Santa Monica College regrets that a group of people chose to disrupt a public meeting in an unlawful manner. The college has launched a full investigation into the matter," he said.
The incident recalls a row over the use of pepper spray on students at a University of California campus last November, in which a police chief was put on administrative leave.
Amateur video of that protest showed an officer in riot gear walking along a line of students seated on the ground, and pepper spraying them in the face apparently for refusing to stand up and leave.
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