Portland protesters sue federal agents for injuries
by Anna Giaritelli, Homeland Security Reporter |
| August 25, 2020 01:36 PM
Four Oregonians who took part in Black Lives Matter protests in downtown Portland last month sued Trump administration officials for injuries sustained as a result of Department of Homeland Security agents' “unconstitutional†attacks on them during the demonstrations and want the federal government to pay for the hardships they say they suffered.
The class-action lawsuit — aimed at acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf; senior official performing the duties of deputy secretary, Ken Cuccinelli; and 200 unnamed DHS law enforcement agents — alleges the demonstrators were “peacefully protesting†downtown in late July when federal agents "operated beyond their authority, by using unconstitutional and unnecessary force against Black Lives Matter protesters."
“These federal agents used chemical and impact munitions designed for war zones against American civilians," lawyers representing the four plaintiffs wrote in an announcement of the lawsuit. "Their actions resulted in hundreds of injuries to peacefully protesting women and men of all races, ages and walks of life."
The four people suing allege they were wounded at events where federal agents were present, though local police were also present at the incidents and are not being sued for any potential role in the injuries. The lawsuit asks for the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon to deem the actions of federal agents unconstitutional and award “unspecified compensatory and punitive damages to each peaceful protester subjected to chemical munitions."
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