D.C. Settles With Mass Arrest Victims (Pays off protesters!)

washington post ^ | 1/25/05 | Carol D. Leonnig and Del Quentin Wilber

[Timeout]

Here are some snips:

The District government agreed yesterday to pay a total of $425,000 to seven people caught up in a mass arrest at a downtown park in September 2002....The arrests occurred Sept. 27, 2002, during demonstrations against the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.... officers corraled demonstrators and anyone else within the boundaries of the park, on Pennsylvania Avenue NW, and charged them with failing to obey police.

The seven plaintiffs were five protesters and two bystanders. Each will receive about $50,000 after paying the legal expenses of the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Lawyers Guild and the law firm of Covington & Burling...cont'd below:

[sauropod]

This is selective application of the law.

[sauropod]

As I understand it, no permit required for groups of 24 or less.

The police wholesale enclosing the park and arresting everyone in it is a bit too much heavyhandedness on their part IMO.

[sauropod]

Agree.

[Timeout]

As I said above, I agree that the police were wrong.

But $50K per person?!

[KC_Conspirator]

I watched these filth assault cops and bystanders down off of D street last week. They ought to have the clubs taken to them.

[sauropod]

I agree with you that $50,000/person is insane.

Only way that that could be justified is if someone was swept up in the dragnet and lost his job because he was arrested.

My job is like that.

[Wurlitzer]

"The better question is: are 'permits to assemble' constitutional?"

You could not be more right Grut!

Just a few more degrees F on that boiling water but many on the FR will not notice because someone else is being boiled.

Peaceful assembly (key word "Peaceful) is and should be protected but like the 4th amendment the government with the aid of sleaze ball lawyers and a not so supreme court are eroding these protections on a daily basis.

[timestax]

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