"Landmark Settlement: NYC to Pay $13 Million to 2020 Racial Injustice Protesters"
New York City has agreed to pay over $13 million to settle a civil rights lawsuit filed on behalf of approximately 1,300 individuals who were arrested or beaten by police during the 2020 racial injustice protests. The settlement, if approved by a judge, would be one of the largest payouts in a lawsuit over mass arrests. The lawsuit focused on 18 protests that occurred in the week following George Floyd's killing, and eligible individuals would receive $9,950 each. The settlement allows the city to avoid a costly and politically sensitive trial. Other cities in the US are also negotiating settlements with protesters. The lawsuit accused the NYPD of violating protesters' First Amendment rights through indiscriminate brutality and unlawful arrests. The city invoked qualified immunity and denied any systematic effort to deprive people of their right to protest.
