US Settles With BLM Protesters Forcefully Cleared From Park Near White House

The Epoch Times Header

The Biden administration agreed to amend some U.S. Park Police and Secret Service policies as part of a partial settlement agreement reached with Black Lives Matter protesters who were removed by law enforcement near the White House in June 2020.

The United States Park Police (USPP) and the United States Secret Service (USSS) agreed to update and clarify their policies governing demonstrations, and to implement the policy changes within 30 days.

The Justice Department said the changes are to settle claims in four civil lawsuits brought by demonstrators who said their rights were violated in Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C.

Policy changes within the law enforcement agency policies include more specific requirements for visible identification of officers, limits on the use of nonlethal force, and procedures to facilitate safe crowd dispersal.

The partial settlement agreement calls for Black Lives Matter D.C., a plaintiff in the litigation, to dismiss claims for non-monetary relief against the U.S. government. The plaintiffs are continuing to seek financial compensation from some defendants.

The U.S. government didn’t admit to any wrongdoing as part of the settlement.

The lawsuits alleged that federal agencies used unreasonable force to enable a “photo op” of former President Donald Trump holding a Bible outside of St. John’s Church, a historic building near the White House.

A U.S. government watchdog has rejected the claim that police cleared protesters so Trump could pose for a photograph. In a June 2021 report, the U.S. Interior Department’s inspector general said police dispersed protesters as part of a plan made earlier in the day for a contractor to install temporary fencing.

The USPP at the time said violent protesters started to throw “projectiles including bricks, frozen water bottles, and caustic liquid.”

Officers found “caches of glass bottles, baseball bats, and metal poles hidden along the street,” and that “intelligence had revealed calls for violence against the police,” Monahan said. To stop the violence, the USPP followed “established policy” and issued three warnings over a loudspeaker telling the demonstrators on H Street to leave the area, Monahan said.

By Isabel van Brugen

Read Original Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

Columns

DOGE and Musk Recover Deleted Computer Files

Elon Musk and his “Geek Squad” discovered an entire terabyte of data was deleted from government servers from the office of the “Institute of Peace”.

A Simple Question

What is a woman? Anyone with an IQ above room temperature can answer the question. Everyone, that is, except Democrats.

Democrats Tesla Takedown is a Proven Astro Turf Movement

Elon Musk and other journalistic leaders like Joe Rogan have been asking the critical question, “Who is behind the organization of these Tesla protests?”

Can Ramaphosa and Trump Come to Terms?

Whether South Africa can quell the hostility emanating from Washington, without compromising on its national priorities, is a formidable test for a country

Maddened Europe

Viable prospects for peaceful settlement of conflict between Moscow and Kyiv exist, but Europe obsesses over threat of incursion onto European territory.

News

US Immigration Services Drops 3rd Gender Option

US immigration services agency officially updated policy to recognize only two biological sexes—male and female—for all immigration-related doc and benefit requests.

Transgender Covenant School Killer Planned Attack for Years, Final Police Report Says

Transgender shooter in mass killing at Christian school in Nashville, TN was an alumnus motivated by a quest for notoriety, final police report concludes.

Supreme Court Reviews South Carolina’s Medicaid Funding Block on Planned Parenthood

U.S. Supreme Court weighed whether South Carolina can stop abortion provider Planned Parenthood from taking part in state’s Medicaid program.

Africa at Crossroads After $13 Billion US Aid Cut, Say Analysts

African countries reacted with shock when the U.S. government recently cut $13 billion in financial assistance.

Trump Admin Ordered to Restore Legal Aid for Unaccompanied Minors

Judge in CA ordered Trump admin to restore funding for nonprofits providing legal services to unaccompanied illegal immigrant children who entered US.

Val Kilmer, Star of ‘Top Gun’ and ‘Batman,’ Dies at 65

Actor Val Kilmer, best known for his roles in movies “Top Gun,” “The Doors,” and “Batman Forever,” died on April 1 at age 65, his daughter confirmed.

Princeton Says Trump Administration Has Suspended Dozens of Research Grants

Trump admin has suspended several dozen federally funded research grants to Princeton University as part of its investigation into campus anti-Semitism.

How Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ Tariffs Are Set to Reshape Global Trade

President Donald Trump is set to announce reciprocal tariffs for all nations starting April 2, the date he has dubbed “Liberation Day.”
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

MAGA Business Central