WATCH: Police Push 86-Year-Old Woman to the Ground During Tucson Immigration Protest

Alexandra Rosenmann
,
AlterNet
and
Alexandra Rosenmann
February 28, 2017Video

New body-cam footage first published by the Arizona Daily Star captures a Tucson police officer shoving an elderly woman to the ground during Tucson's Day Without Immigrants rally on February 16. The footage shows the same officer pepper-spraying the face of a separate woman attempting to assist the protester he'd just took down. 

"I saw the police being way more aggressive than I’ve ever seen them be," said Rolande Baker. The lifelong activist first began protesting for peace in Buffalo, NY during the Vietnam War. 

Rolande, now retired, previously taught U.S. government, economics and world history at Sunnyside High School in Tucson.

According to Tucson police chief Chris Magnus, police officers "'by and large' handled the situation well," reported the Arizona Republic.

"Most of the crowd complied, but a very specific subgroup elected to remain in the road and challenge the directions they were given by the officers," Magnus stated. 

A Day Without Immigrants took place outside the Federal Building on Congress Street and featured approximately 80 participants. 

The Arizona Senate subsequently passed a bill targeting protesters, giving police a wide range of new powers to snuff out dissent.

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