Earlier, UC Davis spokeswoman Claudia Morain said police used pepper spray after protesters encircled them and blocked them from leaving.

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Scores of police and state troopers, some in riot gear, tried to clear the streets, and some officers used pepper spray to disperse demonstrators.

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In that incident, police were called in to secure the outside of the jail, which holds about 480 inmates, and the jail's staff used pepper spray to disperse the mob.

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Another officer used pepper spray during the arrest.

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According to the Los Angeles Times, police are unsure whether she used the pepper spray in an attempt to grab a discounted Xbox console, or in self-defense.

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Police have used batons and pepper spray to break up the demonstrations which are led by Mr Nasheed's Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

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