AntiPolicing

Seattle Protesters Win $700K in Landmark Case Over Chalked Anti-Policing Messages

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Seattle, WA — In a verdict that underscores the tensions between police conduct and protest rights, a Seattle jury has awarded $700,000 to three protesters who were jailed after using chalk to write anti-police messages on a public barricade. This decision marks a significant moment in ongoing national debates over free speech and law enforcement’s response to civil dissent. The case stemmed from incidents during the heightened protests in Seattle, which were part of the larger national uprising against police brutality following the death of George Floyd in 2020. The demonstrators, whose chalked slogans included … Read more

Seattle Protesters Win $700K for Chalk Anti-Policing Messages: A Victory for Free Speech

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Seattle, WA — In a landmark legal decision, a jury awarded $700,000 to five protesters who claimed their civil rights were violated when they were detained for writing anti-police messages with chalk on a public barricade. The protesters, who were involved in a peaceful rally in Seattle, argued that their arrest amounted to unlawful suppression of free speech. The group, detained during the height of the protests in June 2020, painted phrases critical of police conduct. Legal representatives for the plaintiffs argued that the use of chalk, a temporary and non-destructive medium, underscored the disproportionality … Read more