Protest suits cost city $300,000

[stevedeshazer]

Remember this scene from August 2002?





The city of Portland is poised to pay a $300,000 settlement to 12 people who claimed police used excessive force against them during the protest of President Bush's visit to Portland in August 2002 or two anti-war marches in March 2003.

<snip>

Alan Graf, one of the Portland lawyers who represented the plaintiffs, said the videotaped footage could not be disputed. "The videos really told the story. The city said one thing, and the video said another thing. . . . We had pictures of babies getting pepper-sprayed, and if you put (those pictures) in front of a jury, there's no telling what would happen."

Much of the discovery also focused on the background of one officer, Mark Kruger, who was present at each demonstration. The plaintiffs accused him of being a Nazi sympathizer and sought to link that to a disdain for any "political dissent from the left," court records show. The plaintiffs' attorneys interviewed former friends of Kruger who said he had collected Nazi memorabilia and uniforms with swastikas and wore them to World War II re-enactments.

more: http://oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/front_page/1101819487209090.xml

[Kolesar]

1. The city's liability insurance rates will go up after this payment

The citizens of Portland should demand that everybody in the chain of command responsible for this be sacked. Portland voted for Kerry. Get a petition going. If the mayor sits on it, make him pay the price, too.

[stevedeshazer]

4. We voted in a new mayor

The police chief is gone.

[gratuitous]

2. Yup, I remember

I also remember the fascisti telling me that my right to assemble peaceably and petition the government for redress of my grievances was a commie plot, and that I deserved whatever treatment I received at the hands of the duly constituted authorities.

Some of those people were here in Portland. Others were here at DU.

[stevedeshazer]

3. I was there that day, along with at least three other DUers

that I know of. The robo-cops lost it.

[stevedeshazer]

5. ...

[proud patriot]

6. The cop collected Nazi uniforms

x(

[stevedeshazer]

8. I saw that guy there that day

He's infamous here.

He participates in RE-ENACTMENTS of WW II.

THAT sure sounds like fun! :eyes:

[Carl Brennan]

7. Great way to destroy the governmnent. The Right is smiling

about this.

[libpunkmom]

9. I was there too!!

Some of the cops were crazy.. I saw a few that really enjoyed what they were doing way too much!!!

[stevedeshazer]

11. Which street? n/t

[stavka]

10. $25,000 each -not much of a victory

Insurance company defending the city would have lost a million easy....

True, the city's rates might get a bump, but probably not much