New York City has agreed to pay protesters who were arrested during the George Floyd riots in the summer of 2020, in what could be the most expensive payout ever for a lawsuit surrounding mass arrests.
City officials agreed to pay $13 million to settle a cvil rights suit on behalf of people arrested or allegedly beaten by police during protests that swept the city that summer. The suit is on behalf of around 1,300 people, who will each be eligible for $9,950 in compensation if a judge approves the settlement.
The settlement comes months after a similar one in March, where New York City officials agreed to pay $6 million to hundreds of Black Lives Matter protesters, each of whom would receive more than $20,000. The lawsuit claimed 300 protesters in a June 2020 event were boxed in, pepper sprayed, and zip-tied by police.
At least 19 cities across the United States have shelled out at least $80 million to protesters who claimed harm at the hands of police during that summer. Philadelphia is paying more than $9 million to BLM protesters.