Categories
Dori's Writings & Opinions The Pepper Spray Incident

November 16, 2011 by Administrator

On November 15, 2011, Dorli Rainey, an 84 year old veteran activist for progressive causes, was pepper sprayed on her way to a downtown meeting.  Ms. Rainey and explained what happened to Seattle’s alt-weekly The Stranger:

Something funny happened on my way to a transportation meeting in Northgate. As I got off the bus at 3rd and Pine I heard helicopters above. Knowing that the problems of New York would certainly precipitate action by Occupy Seattle, I thought I better check it out. Especially since only yesterday the City Government made a grandiose gesture to protect free speech. Well free speech does have its limits as I found out as the cops shoved their bicycles into the crowd and simultaneously pepper sprayed the so captured protesters. If it had not been for my Hero (Iraq Vet Caleb) I would have been down on the ground and trampled. This is what democracy looks like. It certainly left an impression on the people who rode the No. 1 bus home with me. In the women’s movement there were signs which said: “Screw us and we multiply.”

Here is Trujillo’s stunning image, most likely a strong contender for a Pulitzer Prize:

Seattle activist Dorli Rainey, 84, is helped by fellow Occupy Seattle protestors after being hit with pepper spray Tuesday, November 15, 2011. After asking protestors to move to the sidewalk, police doused protestors with what Rainey later described as "a fountain of pepper spray." Other protesters splashed a milky-solution in Rainey's face to reduce the sting of the chemical irritant. The incident sparked international outrage, a review of the department's response to the protest, and an apology from Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn.
Seattle activist Dorli Rainey, 84, is helped by fellow Occupy Seattle protestors after being hit with pepper spray Tuesday, November 15, 2011. After asking protestors to move to the sidewalk, police doused protestors with what Rainey later described as “a fountain of pepper spray.” Other protesters splashed a milky-solution in Rainey’s face to reduce the sting of the chemical irritant. The incident sparked international outrage, a review of the department’s response to the protest, and an apology from Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn.

(PHOTO CREDIT: Joshua Trujillo/Seattle Post-Intelligencer/AP)

Leave a Reply