Denver has approved a $4.7 million settlement for protesters who were detained and accused of violating an emergency curfew during demonstrations in 2020 over the killing of George Flyod. The settlement resolves a class-action lawsuit against the city and county of Denver, though the city denies any liability or wrongdoing.
The settlement marks the second major victory for protesters critical of the Denver Police Department’s handling of the 2020 demonstrations. Last year, a federal court judge ordered Denver authorities to pay $14 million in damages to 12 protesters for excessive use of force by police officers. The settlement brings an end to a legal process involving multiple cases that were merged into one.
Plaintiffs include union organizers, a lawyer, a former U.S. Marine, a journalist, a software engineer, and a business owner. The lawsuit accused the police of using violent crowd control tactics against protesters, including firing tear gas, flashbang grenades, pepper balls, rubber bullets, and other projectiles. Police were also criticized for enforcing the emergency curfew with violence, which the plaintiffs argue violated their constitutional rights, including the right to free speech.
Link: The New York Times
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