This lawsuit was filed on June 4, 2020, in the U.S. District Court for the District of D.C., in response to President Trump's use of military police to disperse peaceful protesters in Lafayette Square Park on June 1st, 2020. Protesters had gathered as part of the nationwide outcry following the police killing of George Floyd. Around 6:30 in the evening, military and federal police forces used chemical weapons to disperse the protesters. This was in order to clear the path for President Trump to walk to St. John's Church for a photo-op.

Plaintiffs were Black Lives Matter - D.C. and several individual protesters. They were represented by attorneys from Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, ACLU D.C., and Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law. Applications from attorneys from Arnold and Porter were pending as of June 22, 2020. The complaint alleged violations of the First Amendment, Fourth Amendment, 42 U.S.C. 1985(3) (conspiracy to deprive rights) and 42 U.S.C. 1986 (failure to prevent conspiracy to deprive rights). Plaintiffs sought declaratory, injunctive, and monetary relief, as well as attorney's fees.

On June 9, 2020, plaintiffs filed an amended complaint that sought class certification, added Lia Poteet as a plaintiff, and added General William J. Walke (Commanding General of the D.C. National Guard) and Michael Carvajal (Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons) as defendants. The amended complaint sought to create two types of class representatives: 1) personal injury representatives; and 2) injunctive relief representatives. On July 8 the plaintiffs submitted a motion requesting leave to file a second amended complaint. However, as of August 4 that second amended complaint has not been filed.

The case is ongoing as of August 4, 2020.

Jack Hibbard - 06/22/2020
Jack Hibbard - 07/20/2020


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