In an open letter issued to UC Berkeley students Monday, the association representing the campus police officers disputed claims by organizers that a November 9^th Occupy Berkeley protest on-campus was non-violent and that officers over reacted with unnecessary force.

The letter – addressed to students, faculty, administration & Regents – said that a viral video showing officers using their batons on protesters did not accurately portray the events as they unfolded.

“A video clip gone viral does not depict the full story or the facts leading up to an actual incident,” the letter read.  “Multiple dispersal requests were given in the days and hours before the tent removal operation. Not caught on most videos were scenes of protesters hitting, pushing, grabbing officers' batons, fighting back with backpacks and skateboards.”

Police arrested 39 people while attempting to clear out an "Occupy Cal" encampment and demonstration outside of Sproul Hall.

A group of UC students and community protesters claimed they were victims of police brutality during the demonstration and have threatened to file a lawsuit.

Ronald Cruz, a lawyer with the Coalition to Defend Affirmative

Action, Integration and Immigration Rights and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary, or BAMN, said that the grouped planned to file the suit on behalf of seven protesters who claim to be victims of police violence and false arrests.

In the lawsuit, which Cruz said BAMN plans to file later this month, the plaintiffs will also call on Chancellor Robert Birgeneau to resign.

"The police repeatedly beat students, especially women students, in the ribs, stomach, arms, legs and face," UC Berkeley senior and BAMN organizer Matt Williams said in the statement released to support the legal action.

Meanwhile, Birgeneau has defended the police action, but said the incident would be investigated.

"It is unfortunate that some protesters chose to obstruct the police by linking arms and forming a human chain to prevent the police from gaining access to the tents. This is not non-violent civil disobedience," Birgeneau said in a letter.

The UC Berkeley Police Officers' Association said in its Monday letter that the organization welcomed the internal investigation.

“The UC Berkeley Police Officers' Association supports a full investigation of the events that took place on November 9th, as well as a full review of University policing policies,” the letter read. “That being said, we do not abrogate responsibility for the events on November 9th.”

The association also claimed it was not the officers “decision to engage campus

But the officers did fear the situation could have escalated into a more violent confrontation.

While students were calling the protest ‘non-violent,’ the events on November 9th were anything but nonviolent.  In previous student Occupy protests, protesters hit police officers with chairs, bricks, spitting, and using homemade plywood shields as weapons - with documented injuries to officers,” the letter read.

“At a moment's notice, the November 9th protest at UC Berkeley could have turned even more violent than it did, much like the Occupy protests in neighboring Oakland. Please understand that by no means are we interested in making excuses. We are only hoping that you will understand and consider the frustrations we experience daily as public safety officers sworn to uphold the law.”

“It is our job to keep protests from escalating into violent events where lives could be endangered.”