According to the New York Times New York City has agreed that $6 million will be paid to protesters who were allegedly boxed or beaten by police during a 2020 George Floyd demonstration at Mott Haven.
A federal judge will approve the settlement. The settlement will pay $21,500 per protestor for the more than 300 who signed it. This is the highest amount per person for a case involving mass detentions.
Looters and protesters decimated many Manhattan businesses following George Floyd’s death in 2020. They also robbed Macy’s and Chanel stores, Dolce & Gabbana as well as local drugstores.
In an effort to deter looters, Bill de Blasio, former Mayor of New York City, established an 8 p.m. curfew.
Approximately 10 minutes after 8 p.m. on June 4, 2020, in a Bronx neighborhood, New York Police Department officers began “kettling,” or boxing in, activists protesting the death of Floyd, according to the lawsuit.
According to the complaint, about 300 protestors gathered peacefully when police started to use pepper spray and zip ties to keep them under control.
Samira Sierra (31), one of the protesters who brought the lawsuit against the city, stated that they had the right to protest. The City of New York however made it clear that Bronx residents were willing to be terrorized.
“Many protesters were left bleeding from their wounds.” According to the lawsuit, some protesters experienced convulsions or fell unconscious.
Rob Rickner was one of the protesters’ lawyers. He said that many cases against them were dropped later.
Settlement payments are available to approximately 330 people. Up to 90 protestors have settled separate cases with the city.
The NYPD said in a statement, “Two-and-a-half years after the protests of 2020, much of the NYPD’s policies and training for policing large-scale demonstrations have been re-envisioned based on the findings of the department’s own, self-initiated analyses and on the recommendations from three outside agencies who carefully investigated that period.”
The NYPD stated that it is committed to improving all aspects of its practice.
