75% Disagree With BPS Use Of Pepper Spray

April 18, 2017

75% of people disagreed with the Bermuda Police Service’s use of pepper spray during the protests in December, according to a recent poll.

The poll, conducted earlier this month by Global Research, asked “Do you agree or disagree with the Bermuda Police Service’s use of pepper spray during the Dec 2nd 2016 protests?”

pepper spray poll pie chart TC 2b

When looking at the breakdown by gender, age and race, there was little difference by gender, with 76% of females disagreeing, as compared to 73% of males.

As far as results by race, 51% of whites disagreed and 49% agreed,  while 88% of blacks disagreed and 12% agreed.

Quantitative-research-results-Bermuda-April-2017 2 (1)

Global Research conducted utilised Computer Assisted Telephone Interview [CATI] to interview 405 registered voters between April 3rd – 7th 2017.

The results were weighted to be representative of Bermuda’s population on the following factors; age, race and gender; and the margin of error for the study is +/- 5% at the 95% confidence level.

click here Bermuda protest on Dec 2nd

Read More About

Category: All, News, Politics

Comments (42)

Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed

  1. The Dark Knight Returns says:

    People break the law every single day and don’t get summoned to court. This mess was politically motivated and the chief of police can try and spin it all he wants. I see no good reason why all the defendants involved in the 2/12/16 protest couldn’t have been cautioned. A so-called independent assessment was carried out on the BPS handling of the incident and that assessment stated that the officers were not adequately trained and the tactics adopted were doomed to fail. This in itself is proof positive that those defendants should have been cautioned. Anywhere else in this world and the chief of police would have had to resign. No, not Bermuda only the little man can be forced to resign or be fired for their handling of a situation.

    • Onion says:

      They were cautioned several times but chose to continue to break the law for hours.

      At some point people have to take responsibility for their actions.

      If they truly believe that blocking Parliament to try to force Bermuda to take a deal offering worse value for money then they should hold their heads high for sticking to their principles. Whatever those principles are.

      We can both condemn the police and the alleged lawbreakers without resorting to conspiracy theories.

    • rich says:

      Blocking Parliament and interfering with Ministers are pretty severe offences. Not sure how you can justify a mere caution in those circumstances, notwithstanding what the BPS may or may not have done.

    • Onion Juice says:

      Like 75% disagreed with de airport.
      Nothing new.

      • Onion says:

        100% of independent analyses of the project found it offered the best value for money and was the best option.

    • Bully Beef says:

      Correct. This was politically motivated by factions from the Unions and the PLP Opposition. By your reasoning everyone should get off!

  2. San George says:

    It does not matter what the public thinks. The police report to the Governor – read the Constitution. The Governor takes advice from the OB*. We are lucky they allow us to live here.

    • Say Whaat? says:

      And this governor said that he came to work (in compliance) with the government of the day. So to act as if the governor did not talk to the OBA and Premier etc. is a daydream.

    • Onion Juice says:

      Lucky!!!!!!!
      Ya lucky we are civilized and well behaved.

      • bdaboy says:

        “Ya lucky we are civilized and well behaved.”

        if you were, you wouldn’t have been arrested

  3. Jus' Askin' says:

    25% is Alarming :-(

  4. watching says:

    75% of people disagree with the pepper spray yet the government is hell bent on criminalizing the victims.

    • wahoo says:

      The DPP are prosecuting people who broke the law not necessarily those who were pepper sprayed. I wonder why the poll did not ask whether you agree or disagree that people who break the law should be prosecuted.

      Pepper spray is controversial and always has been but it is non lethal cops have it to protect themselves without inflicting serious injury.

    • serengeti says:

      They’re not the same people. But don’t let those pesky facts stop you.

    • hmmm says:

      @watching you are lying. Those in the court were not necessarily pepper sprayed.

      @watching you are lying. As the pepper spay has absolutely nothing to do with the government

      @watching you are lying. The arrests have nothing to do with the government. the government DO NOT CONTROL THE POLICE.

      Why are you lying? to stir up emotions in order TO STEAL peoples votes for the benefit of the PLP

    • peelpee says:

      “the victims.”

      LOL, please play another card…you’re not victims, you brought this upon yourselves.

    • Bermudian says:

      Read it again.

      75% of 405 people that were questioned. Not 75% of 60,000+ people that live in Bermuda. This poll means nothing as it doesn’t represent everyone on the island.

    • Bully Beef says:

      A poll on this topic cannot be legitimate. The vast majority of the population was not present so how can they comment? All many have seen are snippets of video recordings take from one viewpoint. The justice system needs to hear the evidence from a variety of witnesses and decide guilt or lack thereof.

    • peelpee says:

      “the victims.”

      LOL, please play another card…you’re not victims, you brought this upon yourselves.

  5. Bermudian says:

    These polls are pointless.

    Taking a poll of only 405 out of 60,000 people isn’t accurate and nothing can be taken from it. What a waste of time.

  6. swing voter says:

    I’ve watched the vids over and over, and can agree that 2 individuals deserved a blast of spray. The 2 that assaulted police with the umbrella and the 2×4 ….. I’m not convinced that pushing on a side entrance gate (south entrance on Reid St) demanded the use of spray. That officer was over zealous and salivating at the thought of taking that measure.

  7. Jr Smith says:

    #2bermudas #neveragain

  8. Say Whaat? says:

    Wow. What’s really interesting is that it looks like white people are split almost down the middle of was it right or wrong.

  9. bee says:

    what rubbish. how about PEACEFUL protestors to start with not some group of ‘thugs’ as the tee shirt said. how else was the BPS to disperse a dangerous mob?

  10. jt says:

    It was handled poorly.

    I wonder what percentage feel the protesters acted illegally – by blocking parliament or failing to comply with police.

  11. puzzled says:

    And even commenters can’t get their facts right.

    How many people registered to vote?

    No wonder you lot are messed up.

  12. aceboy says:

    What percentage of these same people think it is ok to block the House illegally and prevent the business of the country from being conducted?

    Just how o they think the police should handle this? They asked nicely. The people did not move. At what point is the use of spray ok? Never? If so you might as well rip up the Constitution. It means any group of people can shut down our government at any time. Ridiculous.

  13. all that glitters says:

    I thought the race and age break downs were interesting. What makes me chuckle simply are the people who say, why are people always injecting race into everything. Well 49 percent of the White community thought it was ok or Half and 81 percent of the black community thought it was not ok to pepper spray.

    It should be noted 99 percent of the people pepper sprayed were black. Do you think if it were white people marching the 49% would have felt it justified?

    We must face our reality and stop trying to walk away from the reality that we have long way to go in understanding each other and living in a Bermuda where who we are is the standard by which we are judged and not what we look like….

    • peelpee says:

      “… who we are is the standard by which we are judged and not what we look like….”

      Might want to let the plp know this….if you recall, they did their best to divide this island along racial lines….and now they wonder why it’s divided. Are they stupid? or just dishonest?

    • aceboy says:

      If a bunch of white people went and blocked entrance to the House and were pepper sprayed I would have no sympathy for them.

  14. Triangle Drifter says:

    How many of that 75% were faced with a hostile crowd that refused to comply with instructions to cease blocking access to the HOA?

    Real easy to play Monday morning quarterback when you were not there.

  15. Janice says:

    I mostly get salt sprayed when I am on my boat

  16. cpm says:

    The Police were attacked and had to respond

  17. M.C. Beauchamp says:

    A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on. Winston Churchill

  18. Point boy says:

    They didn’t call me!
    For the record. I support the police 100 percent on this matter!

  19. scoalsy says:

    100% YES

  20. Trisha says:

    People need to understand that new citizens will not change this Island. It may be this way… that way in other country..this is Bermuda and it will remain As it is.