I see it was a Campus, I thought at first it was a construction site but i have my stories confused. It is still private property and the college is still responsible for the well being of everyone. We dont know what they tried before the spray started. He did warn them that he was going to spray by showing the can and no one moved.
If the police spray the protestors and they run off, the police dont have to arrest the them.
The police could have backed up the bus and hauled everyone away. From what I saw and have heard on the news, I think the police responded reasonably. Pepper spray is not violent, clubs, nightsticks and guns are violent.
Have you (ANYONE) ever been in the middle of something like this that turned violent? Not talking about military action involving people who have been trained, but as a bystander? I was once.