Law enforcement in Oregon has been cleared of excessive force allegations in a lawsuit brought by protesters in 2020.
The ACLU of Oregon's legal director, Kelly Simon, characterized the behavior of federal law enforcement as "illegal" and "abusive."
In 2020, a group of racial justice protesters reached a settlement with the federal government in a lawsuit alleging that law enforcement agents dispatched by President Trump employed excessive force to safeguard a federal courthouse.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon stated on Tuesday that under the settlement, the federal government is obligated to compensate the plaintiffs for the injuries they sustained at the hands of federal agents.
The ACLU of Oregon has been contacted by Planet Chronicle Digital for information on the specific compensation amounts.
Three military veterans, a college professor, several Black Lives Matter activists, and a man who claimed agents grabbed him off a street without reason while he was near the federal courthouse in Portland were among the plaintiffs.
"The ACLU of Oregon legal director, Kelly Simon, stated in a news release that they are proud to have represented their courageous clients who suffered serious injuries due to federal law enforcement's unlawful and aggressive actions. It is just and fair that they are being compensated. The ACLU of Oregon thanked their clients and all those who stood up for Black lives and against government tyranny. They will continue to stand with their clients and all those who seek justice and fairness from the government."
In 2020, thousands of protesters in Portland and across the country demonstrated for months following the murder of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis. At times, the demonstrators clashed with police, and federal agents were deployed to Portland to stop the riots.
Federal agents were accused of overstepping their authority, making unlawful arrests, and employing excessive force, including tear gas, rubber bullets, and pepper spray, during an attempt to quell riots. The majority of the complainants claimed to have sustained physical harm, with some requiring medical attention.
An agent struck Navy veteran Christopher David, who is a plaintiff in the suit, outside the courthouse with a baton and another agent doused him in the face with pepper spray. As a result, David suffered two broken bones in his hand during the protest.
The lawsuit claims that Chad Wolf, who was acting director of Homeland Security at the time, lacked the authority to send more than 100 agents to Portland due to his improper appointment. Wolf resigned in 2021, citing "recent events," including court rulings that deemed his appointment unlawful.
The report revealed that the federal agents lacked proper training and equipment and had no plan for dealing with protests without local police assistance.
Over three months, local police arrested hundreds of protesters, while federal agents arrested nearly 100 more during the peak of the demonstrations.
The use of such force against veterans, mothers, and nonviolent protesters was a shock to the conscience, according to plaintiff and veteran Nichol Denison, who stated in a news release that the treatment by our own government violated everything they learned in the military.
The ACLU of Oregon filed a lawsuit against the federal government on behalf of protesters, journalists, and legal observers.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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