Class Action Lawsuits Help Protestors Win Justice and Equality
Jeffrey Simmons
Published Jan 5, 2024
Protestors striving to reduce unjust and unequal treatment by municipal, city, and county police were greeted by the National Guard. Protestors were beaten, tear gassed, thrown to the ground, and killed. Stay at home orders were harshly and differentially enforced based on race. Black New Yorkers were stopped, searched, arrested, summoned, handcuffed, and prosecuted for being outside after 8 p.m. doing nothing otherwise unlawful.
Non-profit Don't Shoot Portland filed a 17-page pleading to stop Portland Police and the City of Portland from indiscriminately and unconstitutionally spraying tear gas at citizens gathering peacefully to demand change in response to the killing of unarmed Black men, women, and children. Attorneys for the plaintiffs in the United States District Court of Portland, Oregon, argue that tear gas is especially dangerous during the COVID-19 pandemic because it irritates the respiratory system. Coughing and choking in response to pepper spray or tear gas may be deadly and accelerate the spread of the Coronavirus.
In the United States District Court of Western Kentucky, peaceful protestors are suing the Louisville and Jefferson County metropolitan governments, the Mayor of Louisville, and the Louisville Metropolitan Police for using combat-style tactics on peaceful protestors assembling to exercise their constitutional right to free speech. The lawsuit says the protest in response to the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Louisville was met with tear gas, flash bangs, and pepper spray. The National Guard shot and killed David McAtee, a local Black restaurant owner and totally peaceful protestor. Peaceful protestors were beaten, gassed, and arrested. The Mayor of Louisville and the Governor of Kentucky support the police officers. The plaintiffs protest the use of violence to control peacefully assembled citizens.
The plaintiffs intend to seek compensatory damages and legal fees for Andrew Cuomo's efforts to imprison the entire city of New York in response to peaceful protests against the unlawful killing of unarmed Black men, women, and children. The New York City Police Department prohibited individuals from leaving their homes, but they continued their pattern of search, seizure, and arrest in violation of the Constitutions of New York and of the United States. Police officers enforced the stay at home orders against low income and minority neighborhoods. The NYC police unfairly targeted individuals based on race.
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a class action lawsuit in the United States District Court of Minnesota against the City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Police Department for the use of tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets, and arrests of journalists to suppress protestors right to free speech. The journalists were not part of the protest, but they were targeted and intimidated while attempting to uncover protestors' motivations and accurately report protestors' point of view. CNN correspondent Omar Jimenez arrest was televised and aired nationally.
Black Lives Matter in Washington, D.C. in the United States District Court of the District of Columbia filed against President Donald Trump and Attorney General William Barr for the unjustified use of force in the removal of peaceful protestors from Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C. on June 1. Plaintiffs, peacefully gathered in Lafayette Square, protested gross, systemic injustices by law enforcement officers against Black men, women, and children in the United States. Protestors who peacefully gathered were tear gassed and flash bombed into fleeing by the United States Secret
Service, United States Park Police, the D.C. National Guard, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and the United States military without provocation.
The National NAACP spotlight on the police aims to survey all the police in the United States and hold them accountable for racial profiling, killing of unarmed Black men, women, and children, injustice, and inequality. Class action suits are being filed nationwide to stop the use of force on protestors, journalists, and minorities in and near their homes. The class action lawsuits also state that Blacks are more likely to experience complications of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Thus, the use of tear gas to stop protestors "raise[s] great concern among medical professionals" managing the global pandemic.
Class Action Lawsuit for Don't Shoot Portland
Non-profit Don't Shoot Portland filed a 17-page pleading to stop Portland Police and the City of Portland from indiscriminately and unconstitutionally spraying tear gas at citizens gathering peacefully to demand change in response to the killing of unarmed Black men, women, and children. Attorneys for the plaintiffs in the United States District Court of Portland, Oregon, argue that tear gas is especially dangerous during the COVID-19 pandemic because it irritates the respiratory system. Coughing and choking in response to pepper spray or tear gas may be deadly and accelerate the spread of the Coronavirus.
Use of Combat-Style Force to Control Citizens
In the United States District Court of Western Kentucky, peaceful protestors are suing the Louisville and Jefferson County metropolitan governments, the Mayor of Louisville, and the Louisville Metropolitan Police for using combat-style tactics on peaceful protestors assembling to exercise their constitutional right to free speech. The lawsuit says the protest in response to the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Louisville was met with tear gas, flash bangs, and pepper spray. The National Guard shot and killed David McAtee, a local Black restaurant owner and totally peaceful protestor. Peaceful protestors were beaten, gassed, and arrested. The Mayor of Louisville and the Governor of Kentucky support the police officers. The plaintiffs protest the use of violence to control peacefully assembled citizens.
Andrew Cuomo Unconstitutionally Imprisoned New York City
The plaintiffs intend to seek compensatory damages and legal fees for Andrew Cuomo's efforts to imprison the entire city of New York in response to peaceful protests against the unlawful killing of unarmed Black men, women, and children. The New York City Police Department prohibited individuals from leaving their homes, but they continued their pattern of search, seizure, and arrest in violation of the Constitutions of New York and of the United States. Police officers enforced the stay at home orders against low income and minority neighborhoods. The NYC police unfairly targeted individuals based on race.
American Civil Liberties Union - Violence Against Journalists
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a class action lawsuit in the United States District Court of Minnesota against the City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Police Department for the use of tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets, and arrests of journalists to suppress protestors right to free speech. The journalists were not part of the protest, but they were targeted and intimidated while attempting to uncover protestors' motivations and accurately report protestors' point of view. CNN correspondent Omar Jimenez arrest was televised and aired nationally.
Black Lives Matter Against President Donald Trump
Black Lives Matter in Washington, D.C. in the United States District Court of the District of Columbia filed against President Donald Trump and Attorney General William Barr for the unjustified use of force in the removal of peaceful protestors from Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C. on June 1. Plaintiffs, peacefully gathered in Lafayette Square, protested gross, systemic injustices by law enforcement officers against Black men, women, and children in the United States. Protestors who peacefully gathered were tear gassed and flash bombed into fleeing by the United States Secret
Service, United States Park Police, the D.C. National Guard, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and the United States military without provocation.
The National NAACP spotlight on the police aims to survey all the police in the United States and hold them accountable for racial profiling, killing of unarmed Black men, women, and children, injustice, and inequality. Class action suits are being filed nationwide to stop the use of force on protestors, journalists, and minorities in and near their homes. The class action lawsuits also state that Blacks are more likely to experience complications of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Thus, the use of tear gas to stop protestors "raise[s] great concern among medical professionals" managing the global pandemic.
