New York City has reached a significant milestone by agreeing to pay over $13 million to settle a civil rights lawsuit on behalf of approximately 1,300 individuals who faced arrests or police

violence during the racial injustice demonstrations in the summer of 2020.

If approved by a judge, the settlement, filed in Manhattan federal court, would stand as one of the most substantial payouts ever awarded in a mass arrests lawsuit. The case focused on 18 of the numerous protests that swept through New York City following the killing of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis.

Under the agreement, individuals arrested or subjected to force by NYPD officers during these events will be eligible for $9,950 in compensation, with some exceptions.

The settlement allows the city to avoid a potentially costly and politically sensitive trial. Other cities across the United States are also negotiating settlements with protesters who took to the streets to protest racist police brutality after Floyd's death, resulting in around 10,000 arrests in just a few days.

The National Lawyers Guild, representing the plaintiffs, accused the NYPD of depriving protesters of their First Amendment rights through a "coordinated" campaign of indiscriminate brutality and unlawful arrests. However, the city's attorneys argued that the police were responding to a chaotic and unprecedented situation, citing instances of unruly protests with attacks on police vehicles and officers.

Some protest marches in 2020 saw officers employing the controversial crowd control tactic known as "kettling" against peaceful protesters, leading to baton and pepper spray use before making mass arrests.

The lawsuit named former Mayor Bill de Blasio and retired NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea, among others, as defendants. As part of the settlement agreement, the city and the NYPD are not required to admit any wrongdoing.

Certain protesters facing charges such as trespassing, property destruction, assaulting an officer, arson, or weapons possession, as well as those seen on video blocking police from making arrests, may be excluded from the settlement.

While this class action lawsuit was not intended to force changes in the NYPD's practices, other lawsuits seeking injunctive relief are still ongoing, including one led by New York Attorney General Letitia James calling for federal monitoring of the NYPD's policing of protests.

Earlier this year, another class action settlement was announced, awarding $21,500 to those arrested during a demonstration in the Bronx. Besides, over 600 individuals have brought individual claims related to police actions during the 2020 protests, resulting in settlements and resolutions totaling nearly $12 million for the city. The growing cost to taxpayers has raised concerns about the NYPD's handling of protests, emphasizing the need for reform in protest policing practices. Photo by MusikAnimal, Wikimedia commons.