Eduardo Munoz/Reuters
New York City’s police department has agreed to a legal settlement aimed at mitigating conflict with and intimidation of peaceful protesters, a landmark resolution in the wake of the 2020 racial justice protests that is expected to see the department eradicate several controversial tactics used on demonstrators.
The settlement was reached after state Attorney General Letitia James and several civil liberties groups, including the New York Civil Liberties Union and the Legal Aid Society, sued the department.
“Too often peaceful protesters have been met with force that has harmed innocent New Yorkers simply trying to exercise their rights,” James said in a statement. “Today’s agreement will meaningfully change how the NYPD engages with and responds to public demonstrations in New York City.”