NYC to compensate George Floyd protesters with $13.7M for mass arrests.
New York City Agrees to $13.7 Million Payout for George Floyd Protesters
New York City has reached a significant settlement, agreeing to pay $13.7 million to over 1,000 protesters who participated in the George Floyd protests in 2020.
The city’s decision to make this substantial payout resolves a major class-action lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court, which alleged that the police violated the civil rights of the protesters.
This lawsuit specifically addressed the clashes between protesters and police during 18 protests that occurred in the week following George Floyd’s tragic death while in Minneapolis police custody in May.
Protesters who qualify for compensation can receive up to $9,950, according to the plaintiffs’ attorneys.
The lawsuit claimed that some eligible protesters were arrested, while others had their First Amendment rights infringed upon by the police.
However, protesters who were arrested for violent charges such as trespassing, property destruction, assaulting an officer, arson, or weapons possession may not be eligible for a payout. Additionally, those who obstructed police from arresting others may also be excluded.
It is important to note that the settlement still requires approval from a judge and, if approved, it would be one of the most expensive payouts ever made for mass arrests.
The plaintiffs’ lawyers, representing the National Lawyers Guild, a left-leaning group, accused the NYPD of violating the protesters’ First Amendment rights by using excessive force and making unlawful arrests.
According to the lawsuit, there were instances where police officers physically assaulted and kicked protesters.
“The N.Y.P.D.’s suppression of dissent has persisted through numerous mayoral administrations,” stated one of the plaintiffs’ lawyers in a press release.
On the other hand, the city argued that the NYPD did not attempt to suppress lawful protests or infringe upon the protesters’ constitutional right to demonstrate.
“There is no history – or present or future – of unconstitutional policing,” read a memo from Georgia Pestana, an attorney for the city. “There is no frequent deprivation of constitutional rights.”
In the days following Floyd’s death, approximately 10,000 people were arrested nationwide, and the total property damage from the riots amounted to nearly $2 billion.
In New York, the police arrested just over 2,000 individuals between May 28 and June 7, according to the New York State attorney general’s office.
Thousands of people took to the streets in New York City, with some engaging in violent behavior. Rioters injured dozens of police officers, set police cars on fire, vandalized them with graffiti, and looted or damaged at least 450 businesses.
During one incident, two NYPD officers in Brooklyn were shot, and one was stabbed in the neck while trying to prevent looting during a protest.
The mayor implemented a citywide curfew for the first week of June, the first curfew in 75 years, but it was frequently violated by protesters.
Although this is the largest settlement, it is not the first time New York has reached an agreement with protesters who demonstrated over George Floyd. In March, the city settled with approximately 300 people who were arrested on June 4, 2020, in the Bronx, awarding each protester $21,500.
The lawsuit from those protesters claimed that the police used a tactic called ”kettling” to confine and restrain them, using zip ties and batons, as well as pepper spray.
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