The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota stated Wednesday that the city of Minneapolis has agreed to pay $600,000 in settlement to 12 protestors who were injured during the protests that followed the 2020 killing of George Floyd.
The settlement comes after the ACLU-MN launched a class action complaint against the 12 defendants in 2020. In addition to the monetary settlement, the city agreed to “many improvements.”
“Peaceful protesters should never be met with police violence, as they were in Minneapolis during protests over the MPD’s murder of George Floyd,” said ACLU-MN Legal Director Teresa Nelson. “Tear gas, foam bullets, and pepper spray became weapons for intimidating and injuring protesters, making exercising one’s First Amendment rights dangerous.” We hope that this settlement sends a message to Minnesota law enforcement that this violation of our constitutional rights will not be tolerated.”
According to the ACLU, the demonstrators endured injuries such as bruises as a result of less-lethal weapons, persisting respiratory ailments caused by tear gas, and psychological trauma “that has chilled their motivation to resist in the future.”
The money will be divided among the 12 litigants. “The agreement prohibits the city from arresting, threatening to arrest, or using physical force against people engaging in lawful protests, assemblies, or demonstrations,” the ACLU said of the reforms.
“The injunction also limits the use of chemical agents by police to disperse peaceful protests and requires that officers deployed to protests have their body-worn cameras recording and unobstructed.”