It's a photograph that has now become an iconic image of the Occupy Wall Street movement. During a protest at UC Davis, a police officer in riot gear - later identified as Lt. John Pike - was filmed walking in front of seated student protesters, blasting pepper spray into their faces. The students had interlocked arms to prevent officers from taking them away.
The incident has led to calls for University of California Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi to resign (she said she found the images "chilling") as well as public outcry in general over the use of pepper spray by authorities on otherwise non-violent targets.
It has also led to a new Internet meme, in which the image of Lt. Pike and his pepper spray dispenser are placed in unlikely and humorous scenarios that highlight it as a violent and over-the-top reaction to something non-threatening. (The meme is alternately referred to as the "Pepper Spray Meme" or the "Scumbag Pike" meme, a reference to the ongoing "Scumbag" series of memes and again meant to ridicule Pike as craven and abusing his authority.)
This list represents the very best - thus far - of the Lt. Pike Pepper Spray meme. (With special thanks to Kwikset on Tumblr, the Google Plus feeds of Billy Galbreath and Sage Serif and @Xeni on Twitter for pointing me to some of these great entries.)
This is Lt. John Pike, who in the following (graphic) video, pepper sprayed students peacefully protesting (in solidarity of the Occupy movement) at UC Davis.
And here is video of the event:
It's A-Me! Lt. Pike!
Sorry, Mario, but your right to peaceably assemble is in another castle.
Sunday in the Park with Pike
Lt. Pike goes pointillist as he steps into Georges Seurat's famous painting, "Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte." The clash of the peaceful, relaxed setting as a pepper spray-emitting officer in riot gear really captures the essence of this meme.
Strutting Leo's Gonna Hate
The Lt. Pike meme collides with the "Strutting Leo" meme in this genuinely disturbing entry.
Some people would probably still defend this behavior. "Well, he had asked the planet to stop spinning on its axis and Earth didn't listen. What choice did he have?"
Pike Makes a Declaration
A pretty savvy political statement is made by inserting Pike into John Trumbull's famous painting, "Declaration of Independence." Note that Pike is blasting the pepper spray on to the document itself.
Two memes collide as Lt. Pike dispenses pepper spray right next to the adorable Chubby Bubbles Girl (aka "Chubbles"). This is not going to do anything for his reputation on the Internet.
Lt. Pike Goes After Real Criminals
Finally, a case where Lt. Pike's methods are actually justified...
I'm not sure the Ghostbusters would actually allow Lt. Pike in. He has neither the tools nor the talent.
Lt Pike is the Law
Pike here is referencing Judge Dredd, a police officer who, in a violent futureworld, acted as judge, jury and even executioner upon encountering criminality.
The Circle of Pike
How could he? That monster!
Pikesylvania
Lt. Pike meets Simon Belmont in this ode to the classic video game series "Castlevania." Does pepper spray work on the undead?
Which One's Pike?
Trivia: If you douse your face in pepper spray and simultaneously start Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon," it still totally hurts like a b***h.
Pike here recreates a famous drawing of Crispus Attucks, the first man shot to death by British redcoats at the Boston Massacre of 1770. Attucks has been called "the first martyr of the American Revolution."
Wow, these guys must have had a SERIOUS falling out. Like... legendary.
Lt. Pike is at Every Wall Street
A small rural town held their own mock Occupy Wall Street protest, and wouldn't you know, Lt. Pike still had to show up and pepper spray everyone involved. That guy is incorrigible.
Just to be safe, judges, I'd give him high scores. You wouldn't like Pike when he's angry...
Oh Bother
Pike also showed up at Occupy the Hundred Acre Wood. I think Pooh Bear and the gang sort of missed the whole concept behind a "protest," but that's no excuse.
When Spicy Isn't Enough
Pike the Nighthawk
Pike invades another iconic painting. This time, it's Edward Hopper's "Nighthawks."
Pike Gets High
Pike has here been inserted into the famous photograph, “New York Construction Workers Lunching on a Crossbeam,” taken atop the unfinished GE Building in 1932. Back then, the penalty for pepper spraying a colleague was a night in the hoosegow and a fine of 12 haypennies.
Lt Pike Both Denies and Betrays
Lt. Pike attends the Last Supper in this sacrlicious entry.
Pike Meme Signs Appear at UC Davis
Protests at UC Davis got a lot more meta- on the Monday after the pepper spray incident, when the Lt. Pike meme started showing up on the actual signs.
In another sharply satirical take on the meme, Pike has been inserted into this famous photograph by Malcolm Browne, depicting the self-immolation of Vietnamese Mahayana Buddhist monk Thich Quang Duc, a protest against the Vietnam War.
Pike's not crazy about theoretical physics either.
Scumbag Katehi
A side meme has started as well off of the Pike incident, in which Chancellor Katehi is seen advising the use of pepper spray in inappropriate situations. So far, seems to be gaining less momentum than the Pike meme. But these things are hard to predict.
markhz The Very Best of the Lt. Pike Meme at 11/21/2011 11:51 AM
Lt. Pepper's Lonely Farts Club Band It was not a week ago today, Lt. Pepper taught me to disband and spray They've been doing it with fun and style But they're guaranteed to raise a smile. So may I introduce pepper spray to you The act you've known for all these years, Lt. Pepper's Lonely Farts Club Band. We're Lt. Pepper's Lonely Farts Club Band, We hope you will enjoy our demo, We're Lt. Pepper's Lonely Farts Club Band, Sit down and let the pepper flow. Lt. Pepper's lonely, Lt. Pepper's lonely, Lt. Pepper's Lonely Farts Club Band. It's wonderful to be here, It's certainly a thrill. You're such a lovely audience, Sit down and we’ll take you home with us, We'd love to take you home. I don't really want to stop my demo, But I’m running out of ammo, The students’ are going to sing a song, And we want to silence them all along. So let me introduce to you The one and only Lieutenant Pike It’s Lt. Pepper's Lonely Farts Club Band.
Dennis The Very Best of the Lt. Pike Meme at 11/20/2011 11:09 PM
Any evidence to your first update, that Chancellor Katehi has resigned? Because there's not really any other report of that anywhere on the internet that I can find....
T. Butler The Very Best of the Lt. Pike Meme at 11/21/2011 8:51 AM
Here's my own little contribution to see that this warthog lives with his shame forever. http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/377160_10150477871450466_506495465_10624916_758286559_n.jpg
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The Very Best of the Lt. Pike Meme at 11/21/2011 8:23 AM
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Which One's Pike? at 11/20/2011 6:47 PM
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