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Dozens of people are suing the city of San Jose in California, saying its police department “brutalized” them as they protested racial injustice in 2020, including one man who lost his eye and others who walked away burned and bruised.
The class action lawsuit was filed in federal court Thursday, brought by 12 protestors, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) of San Jose/Silicon Valley and the nonprofit San Jose Peace and Justice Center. It takes aim at San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, City Manager David Sykes, former Police Chief Eddie Garcia and other officers, SFBay reported.
The lawsuit seeks to represent “all those who were subjected to police violence, including the use of teargas and other chemical weapons, explosive grenades, impact munitions and batons; and all those who were arrested for violating the curfew,” during the protests following the death of George Floyd in May 2020.
Protests erupted around the country last year after Floyd, an unarmed Black man, was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which reportedly led to countless instances of police brutality, and protestors taking legal action.
In this class action against San Jose, 12 protestors say they were shot with rubber bullets, tear-gassed and dragged across the ground while either demonstrating, or watching demonstrations last year, SFBay reported.
San Jose resident Michael Acosta said he was photographing a protest near his home on May 29 when police shot him in the left eye with a rubber bullet. He lost his eye.
“I never could have imagined that I would be shot in the face and end up losing my eye,” he said. “Over nine months later on, I’m still trying to adapt.”
California Assemblymember Alex Lee joined the lawsuit because of the injuries and difficulty breathing he claims to have suffered when police let out a chemical agent believed to be tear gas.
Others said they suffered burns and bruises from “projectiles” sent out by police during a protest response of “racially targeted repression.”
While it was documented that at least two people were shot in the eye, four in the groin and several others on their body, it was difficult to know how many people in total may have been injured due to lack of reporting, SFBay wrote.
The goal of the lawsuit is to get financial compensation for all those injured, lawyers said.
The protestors are also seeking significant reforms in the way San Jose police are trained and directed to police protests.
This is the latest lawsuit in a sweep of suits coming out of the protests, in which hundreds of people around the country allege they were injured by police while demonstrating.
Protestors, reporters and other civilians are fighting back against police brutality in the United States, suing both the government officials and police responsible for attacks on demonstrators and people of color. For a complete guide to the nation’s racial justice lawsuits, click here.
Did a police officer violate your rights, hurt you or make you feel unsafe at a racial injustice protest in 2020? Let us know in the comments.
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One thought on City of San Jose ‘Brutalized’ Protestors During 2020 George Floyd Protests, Class Action Claims
what a joke what about police who were attacked by these paid protesters what is this world coming to