I must admit that I don't know much about this event or what they're protesting. The reason I was initially sympathetic to the protestors is because my brother recently participated in a protest at UC Davis at relatively the same time, which means he could be part of the same thing.I know the basic gist of it, but I don't really know the whole story.

I also admit that I was naive to rely only on that one source for information, but it was the first and only source I saw that mentioned the negotiations.

and this is the basis for my statements that the protesters sounded whiny and were provoking the police: The protesters went through such great lengths to emphasize and exaggerate the pain and the "torture" of the police that it seemed like a child whining.

Pain is not an uncommon way to make violent people cooperative. Tear gas and pepper spray are common against belligerant crimials or mobs. However it is a questionble method for non-violent protesters. But how else are they going to make arrests?

Also the stopping of the police car isn't lynching. Lynching is basically a mob killing without a trial or something. I don't know the exact definition, but you get the basic idea. Taking a prisoner away from an officer or obstructing him is "Obstruction of Justice" (I think.)

From what I've seen protests that involve everyone linking arms and resisting the police usually don't work. Protests involving tons of people willingly going to jail, filling the jails with protesters and then going back and commiting the same "crime" usually do work.

Disclaimer: I am a high school student sitting in at home reading things off a computer monitor. The only connection I have to the UC schools is that I have a brother that goes to a UC school, so I'm even less qualified to speak on this subject than you are :D