George Floyd Murder Case: New York City has agreed to pay $13 million to hundreds of people arrested during demonstrations following the death of George Floyd in the US. According to a Reuters report, this is the largest settlement ever paid to protesters in the United States.
It is noteworthy that after the death of Floyd in police custody on May 25, 2020, there were protests across the country including New York. The ruckus was sparked by the fact that an unarmed black man was killed by a Minneapolis police officer. The police officer knuckled Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes while Floyd repeatedly screamed for help that I couldn’t breathe.
Five people died
More than 1,300 protesters will be paid
The city agreed on Wednesday to pay $9,950 to each of the more than 1,300 protesters arrested by New York Police officers during various protests between May 28 and June 4, 2020, according to reports.
A lawyer for the plaintiffs cheered the decision, saying it was a huge victory that should be celebrated. People arrested on other charges, such as arson or property damage will be excluded from the settlement, which still requires US District Court Judge Colleen McMahon’s approval.
After this decision, the New York Police Department says that it has made several improvements to deal with the protests during the epidemic. A police officer said that the New York Police Department (NYPD) is committed to ensuring that the public is safe and that people’s right to peaceful expression is protected. In a separate agreement in March, New York agreed to pay an estimated $7 million to more than 300 people arrested during demonstrations in the Bronx borough of New York on June 4, 2020.
