As far as I am aware the protesters were arrested, and during the course of this, it is not uncommon for LE to attempt to defuse, and disperse the crowd through non lethal methods like this. IIRC, the chancellor of the University had allowed the protest to go on for a period of time, and then made the decision to have the police remove the demonstration from the quad. And gave ample opportunity for the people occupying that space to vacate on their own. They refused at every turn to follow lawful orders to dismantle, and disperse. That caused these events to take place.
I don't believe it was "torture".... The demonstrators were in charge of what happened to them, and could have avoided this outcome repeatedly. Situations of "torture", victims have no control. That was not the case here.
I quite disagree, unless you have some ability to get in the mind, and heart of the Lt. that used the non lethal force.
Just a question though, would you have rather had the police using batons, and billy clubs to disperse the crowd? Most certainly you would have been saying excessive force then as well, no?