It's a dangerous thing to allow yourself to believe that violence can ever be justified; it leads to a tangled web of determining circumstance and culpability. Why not instead work towards a world where all violence is frowned upon?
The first step is rising against violent action inflicted upon the passive and non-violent. How can violence ever be justified in instances where the victims are eternally compassionate and docile?
'Grad' and 'Intelligent'- Simply accepting the current state of affairs and working within its corruption is no way to fulfill positive change. You complain that we're giving conservatives fodder; i defy their very notions of what is right and wrong. The neo-cons set the standards, and the liberals believe that they must abide. I say that we re-define what is right and wrong according to our needs and concerns rather than trying to work within a system that undermines non-violent protest and progressive change from its beginning. 'MLK' is completely right; this situation echoes other great movements in which non-violence protest was utilized even if the scale is smaller. It is acceptable to stand up for what you believe in even if you're forced to suffer at the hands of the powers at be. I think that we can all agree that hurting non-violent students is unacceptable (being choked is painful and frightening) and for us to succumb and concede that perhaps the police were right to use force is to accept banality and to abide by the rules of a system which is already unfair and inherently violent. For the students to have abandoned TU at eight would have been to abandon their cause prior to its success. True reform can only come from passionate dedication and action. Do not accept the notion that it's alright for one person to harm another; we all deserve love. Create a better system.
Namaste'