Reply #25: I don't support the tactics used by some (a small minority) of the protesters.. [View All]

I have to wonder at the intentions of people who smash windows and damage private property because it does nothing to further their cause.

That said, I have a major problem with the way the police handled the situation based upon first hand accounts from my son and his friends who live on campus. They were angry at the damage done by the protesters, but by the end of the night they were more disgusted by the actions of the police.

The police were using something called a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) on campus. The device emits sound at a frequency and volume that causes pain and disorientation and can permanently damage hearing. The LRAD had never been used on US soil until yesterday's protests let alone against a crowd that contained a high percentage of innocent bystanders.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Range_Acoustic_Device

The CO vapor gas that left most of the lower campus engulfed in an acrid haze affected more innocent students than protesters. At one point, even the local reporter from WPXI stated that the police were firing the gas cannisters and rubber bullets at a crowd of that contained no more than "about five" of the actual protesters, and was made up instead, of mostly students who were observing the events.

Yeah, I hate to see the damage done to the campus. Both my husband and I are Pitt alumni and we were sickened when we saw the first reports of the vandalism. But in all honesty, the broken windows are easily repaired. The bad feelings of many of the students toward the police will take much longer to repair.