Justice, civil rights groups reach settlement on Lafayette Square protests
by Harper Neidig - 04/13/22 4:24 PM ET
The Justice Department and civil rights groups on Wednesday reached a settlement partially resolving a series of lawsuits following a 2020 protest outside the White House during which federal law enforcement violently dispersed demonstrators with tear gas.
The Biden administration agreed to make changes to how the Secret Service and U.S. Park Police handle large protests after nearly two years of litigation that began while former President Trump was in office.
“The federal government is committed to the highest standards for protecting civil rights and civil liberties in any federal law enforcement response to public demonstrations,” Vanita Gupta, the number three official in the Justice Department said in a statement. “These changes to agency policies for protest responses will strengthen our commitment to protecting and respecting constitutionally protected rights.”
The incident came during nationwide protests against police brutality in the summer of 2020. A large demonstration had swelled near Lafayette Park outside the White House, when then-Attorney General William Barr ordered law enforcement officers to clear out the protesters right before Trump crossed the street for a photo opportunity at a historically-Black church.
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https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/3266754-justice-civil-rights-groups-reach-settlement-on-lafayette-square-protests/
