Postgame (high school football) Haka dancers in Utah pepper sprayed by police

[cui bono]

Controversy has erupted in Utah after police reacted aggressively to a traditional Maori dance being performed by men and high school students after a small town football game on Thursday night.

According to the Associated Press, Deseret News and Salt Lake Tribune, among other sources, a group of relatives of a player for the Roosevelt (Utah) Union High football team was attacked with pepper spray by police officers in Roosevelt, Utah while performing the dance shortly after Uintah's 17-14 victory. The group performing the Haka reportedly blocked the exit from the field, and while their dance was destined to be a quick one -- as practically all Hakas performed by sports teams are -- police insisted that they move from the area to allow players and others to leave the field.

When they began dancing instead, Roosevelt police began using pepper spray to displace the crowd.

"I've never seen anything like it," Union fan Jason Kelly told the Deseret News. "It was totally unprovoked."

http://rivals.yahoo.com/highschool/blog/prep_rally/post/Postgame-Haka-dancers-in-Utah-pepper-sprayed-by-?urn=highschool-wp7506

[L. Coyote]

1. X million dollars won't fix this behavior, but sue them anyway to try to teach them

[MedicalAdmin]

2. Translation of events.

Brown men questioning me? Where's my whip? That'll show those uppity ....

[Obamanaut]

3. Additional responses here ->

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=2169695&mesg_id=2169695