Philadelphia to pay $9.25M settlement to protesters over police use of tear gas and rubber bullets during 2020 unrest.
Philadelphia has agreed to pay $9.25 million to over 300 people who were injured by police during the 2020 racial justice protests following the police murder of George Floyd. The damages awarded to each plaintiff vary depending on their individual cases. The lawsuits focused on two incidents: the mass teargassing of protesters on I-676 on June 1, 2020, and the police use of military-style armored vehicles, rubber bullets, pepper spray, and tear gas on demonstrators and neighborhood residents while attempting to curb looting and violence along the 52nd Street historic Black business corridor in West Philadelphia. The settlement also includes a $500,000 fund for counseling to victims of police violence and community-led programming.