NYC Proposes Millions For BLM ‘Protesters’ In Lawsuit Settlement

New York City has offered to pay hundreds of Black Lives Matter (BLM) rioters at least $21,500 each in a proposed settlement of a class-action lawsuit against the city’s police department. The lawsuit claims NYPD officers boxed in, pepper sprayed, and zip-tied at least 300 protesters during a June 2020 riot, described by the plaintiffs as a “protest.”

The settlement could end in a $4 to $6 million payout if a judge approves the city’s proposal. An additional $2,500 would be paid out to those who were issued citations to appear in court and respond to accusations.

The riots came after the death of George Floyd that same year in Minneapolis. Officers responded to the civil unrest after activists violated a city-wide curfew. The proposed settlement from the city states explicitly that it is offering compensation to “individuals who were detained, arrested, and/or subjected to force by police officers on June 4, 2020, on East 136th Street between Brook Avenue and Brown Place in the Bronx during the ‘George Floyd protest’ in Mott Haven.”

The massive settlement comes as liberal members of the NYC city council are working hard to remove the NYPD’s funding. The City Council Progressive Caucus pledged to “do everything we can to reduce the size and scope of the NYPD.” However, one Democratic city council member spoke anonymously to the New York Daily News and admitted the goal to “defund is widely unpopular in the city.”

The caucus previously included 80% of the council’s Democratic members. However, it lost 15 members who refused to sign the defunding pledge. “A lot of the members who left the Progressive Caucus agree with principles of reforming the NYPD, but aren’t willing to take the leap toward defunding the NYPD,” the anonymous member told the Daily News.

If approved, the settlement would be one of the largest payouts to protesters allegedly mistreated by police. Washington, D.C., agreed to settle claims made by protesters in 2010 who were arrested near the World Bank $18,000 each for a total of $13.7 million.

Meanwhile, NYC crime numbers in January spiked after a brief dip in late 2022, leading to concerns about defunding the NYPD. Crime increased by 4.1% in January, led by felony assaults which saw a 14.9% increase from 2022.