Reply #40: One of the protesters who got pepper-sprayed identified [View All]

[Eric J in MN]

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2011/09/chelsea_elliott.php

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"Chelsea Elliott, Occupy Wall Street Protester Sprayed by Cop, Tells Us What Happened"

We were penned off on the sidewalk, and I couldn't really see, but I've seen video since, and there was a kid being beat up in the street (video at the link).

I heard screams near me, and this young girl near me was shoved down -- their hands were on her head until she reached the pavement (she was yelling because the cops were beating up some 19-year-old kid). I screamed something like, "Stop! Why are you doing this?" There was blood and shit; it was terrifying.

...Then this cop in a white collared shirt came around and just sprayed us, not even one steady stream, more like you were spraying a plant -- me and three or four other girls. I fell to the ground, and the girl behind me, this pretty, thin girl, a total hippie, with short hair and a gray tank top, they got her so bad! We were just lying on the ground, it was extremely painful. The cop I was talking to, he talked to the cop who sprayed us, and was like, "Thanks for the warning." I think he got maced in the eye, too.

...It was incredibly painful. The pain in my face went away after about an hour; my ears felt like the worst sunburn of my life. It feels like pouring a bottle of Tabasco all over your eyes and face, and I have a really high pain tolerance.

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