New York City has reached a historic settlement of $13 mn with hundreds of individuals who were arrested during the George Floyd protests in 2020. The agreement, according to attorneys representing the plaintiffs, marks the largest class action settlement ever paid to protesters in the United States.
The protests that swept across New York City and the nation were triggered by the tragic death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020. Floyd, an unarmed Black man, lost his life at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer who knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes while he pleaded for assistance, repeatedly stating, "I can't breathe."
As part of the settlement, each of the more than 1,300 protesters arrested by New York police officers during various demonstrations between May 28 and June 4, 2020, will receive $9,950. The agreement is subject to approval by U.S. District Court Judge Colleen McMahon. Individuals arrested on charges related to arson or property destruction will not be eligible for compensation under this settlement.
Attorney Remy Green, representing the plaintiffs, expressed satisfaction with the significant financial restitution but also emphasized the need for broader change.
"While making a massive number of protesters financially whole is an immense victory to be celebrated, the city’s taxpayers will need to keep shelling out millions until City Hall stops bowing to the worst violent whims of the NYPD," Green stated, referencing the New York Police Department.
Court documents revealed several disturbing practices employed by the NYPD during the protests. Protesters at 18 different locations, including Union Square, Central Park, and Barclay's Center in Brooklyn, experienced improper use of pepper spray, excessive force with batons, and other unlawful tactics, such as "kettling."
"Kettling" is a controversial tactic that involves corralling protesters into a confined space, effectively trapping them. Officers also reportedly used batons, pepper spray, chemical irritants, and even bicycles forcefully against the demonstrators.
The NYPD has stated that it has taken measures to improve its practices for handling protests like those that occurred during the pandemic.
"The City and NYPD remain committed to ensuring the public is safe and people’s right to peaceful expression is protected," said the department in a statement.
Named plaintiff Savitri Durkee emphasized that the issues protesters were rallying against in 2020 persist to this day.
"The harmful realities we were protesting in 2020 persist. Black and brown people are disproportionately harassed, prosecuted, jailed, and killed by police," Durkee asserted.
In a separate settlement reached in March, New York City agreed to pay approximately $7 mn to over 300 individuals arrested during a June 4, 2020, demonstration in the Bronx borough.
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