According to media reports, the Polynesians in the video above were pepper sprayed by police in Roosevelt, Utah while doing a haka. A haka is a traditional Maori dance that has been performed at sporting events around the world as a greeting and a challenge. Pepper spray for doing a dance? What happened?
The Polynesians in the video above reportedly traveled 125 miles to the game to cheer on a relative who was playing in his last football game ever. After the Union football team lost, they performed the haka in an effort to cheer them up. Their haka was blocking the exit, and police told them to make a hole to let people through. According to reports, spectators, coaches, and players told police that they should let them perform, but the police didn’t listen and began using pepper spray to clear the way. Spectators and bystanders were also hit by the pepper spray, and some people were reportedly hit with batons.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Union fan Jason Kelly said. “It was totally unprovoked.” Roosevelt police say that while fans knew about the performance, the two officers didn’t. They add that the event is under investigation, and that anyone who wants to lodge a complaint should contact their department. One wonders how people are going to be comfortable doing that after the incident.
