[Online Exclusive]: UCLA community gathers to protest Taser incident, campus violence

Meyerhoff Park was electric Friday afternoon when more than 400 students, faculty, staff, parents and community members gathered to protest the use of a Taser multiple times on a UCLA student in Powell Library on Tuesday night.

Student leaders stood on the steps of Kerckhoff Hall, leading the crowd in chants that included "One, two, three, don't Taser me," and "U-C-P-D, you disgust me." After about an hour, students began marching to the university police station, where about 200 students gathered in front of the building.

More than 50 student organizations sponsored the rally, during which students demanded that an independent investigation be conducted into the officers' actions.

According to a statement released Wednesday by UCPD, the incident in which Mostafa Tabatabainejad was stunned with a Taser several times for failing to produce his BruinCard or leave the library upon request is currently under internal review.

SLIDESHOW Click here to see a slideshow of photos from the student protest.

But students at the rally said they wanted an additional investigation to be conducted by an outside organization, adding that they wanted students to be involved with the investigation as well.

"The chancellor should appoint students who will be able to make sure the investigation is transparent," said Combiz Abdolrahimi, chairman of the National Iranian-American Council at UCLA, which helped organize the event. "We're also calling for a temporary suspension of the officers."

Affad Shaikh, civil rights coordinator for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, also demanded to be provided with UCPD's policies governing the use of Taser guns.

"Something went wrong and the community demands some answers," he said.

At a separate press conference later in the afternoon, Police Chief Karl Ross announced that UCPD is planning to conduct an independent investigation into the incident, in addition to their internal investigation.

During the same press conference, Interim Chancellor Norman Abrams said a number of eyewitnesses have already come forward to participate in the investigation.

"I am confident that the review process that is being undertaken will allow us to reach a fair, appropriate and just conclusion," Abrams said.

Several eyewitnesses also spoke to the crowd during the rally, though some declined to give their names.

UCPD has maintained that the UCPD officers could not have known at the time that the student was not a threat; Ross said the officers used force because they felt they were in danger.

But some witnesses said the response seemed to be inappropriate for the situation.

"I personally couldn't sleep that night," one speaker said. "This was majorly excessive. There was no reason for (police) to do this once they had complete control of the situation."

Organizers repeatedly stressed that the rally was in response to violence on campus in general.

"These police were way out of bounds," said Samer Araabi, a general representative on the Undergraduate Students Association Council. "Do you feel protected by the police?"

The crowd roared back with a resounding "No."

After the rally was over, just before 1 p.m., protesters began marching to UCPD's station on Westwood Boulevard, though organizers had said at the beginning of the rally that they had no plans to do so.

Organizers asked the crowd to remain peaceful as they marched, still chanting, to the station.

"Let's stay nonviolent, because we are marching against violence," said Sabiha Ameen, president of the Muslim Students Association and a rally organizer.

Click here for a pdf version of UCPD's Taser policy.

Protesters gathered on UCPD's front lawn, chanting that they wanted to see the chief of police.

By the time students arrived at the station, the front door of the station was locked and most of the lights downstairs were turned off. Berky Nelson, director of the UCLA Center for Student Programming, said the chief of police was not available to speak with protesters because he was meeting with the chancellor.

As a Los Angeles Police Department helicopter circled briefly overhead, the crowd refused to disperse.

"Hell no, we won't go," they chanted.

After students had been at the station for over 45 minutes, they left voluntarily.

Nelson said police would listen to student input.

"There will be student input," he said. "Their voice was heard, and they were received with all due respect."

Though the crowd was overwhelmingly opposed to the police officers' actions, a few students in attendance questioned the student's actions as well.

"If you've been told to leave, you need to comply," said Christo Rose, a fourth-year computer science student. "(Police) have no choice but to respond."

But Rose added that he believes the use of force in the situation was excessive.