Individuals who caused riots in New York over the death of George Floyd in 2020 could be compensated about $10,000 each. Mayor Eric Adams took a stance in favor of a class action lawsuit against the City of New York and agreed to a total payment of $13 million to Black Lives Matter protesters who were arrested during the tense protests, though the agreement is pending in court.
As reported by the New York Post, it would be one of the largest compensation payouts for protesters in history.
The protesters, some 1,300 of them, filed this settlement in federal court in Manhattan. In the lawsuit, they reflect that "they were rounded up in places from which they could not escape," in addition to pointing out that they were beaten with "truncheons, sprayed with pepper spray" and subsequently "detained without legal justification, all without prior warning" by police authorities.
"There is no history of unconstitutional policing"
"Although the city does not admit liability in this settlement, the size of this monetary settlement, coupled with the earlier settlement about Mott Haven, strongly suggests otherwise. It is also a testament to the importance of collective action to redress violations of important constitutional rights," said Adama Sow, one of the plaintiffs. "This monetary settlement reflects the reality that the misconduct by the NYPD alleged in this case, which is tolerated and condoned at the highest levels of the city government, harms people and communities who are simply engaging in their constitutional rights of free expression. The brutal response to these protests further risks deterring people from engaging in protected speech, and participating in creating safe and loving communities," added Dara Pluchino, another plaintiff.
Georgia Pestana, an advocate for the City of New York, pointed out that "There is no history - or present or future - of unconstitutional policing," and added that "there is no frequent deprivation of constitutional rights" by the authorities.
