Posted By Steve Neavling on Thu, Mar 11, 2021 at 11:23 AM click to enlarge Steve Neavling Detroit Will Breathe protesters took to the streets to demonstrate against police brutality over the summer. The city of Detroit lost another legal battle with protesters of police brutality and racial injustice. A federal judge dismissed the city’s controversial countersuit against Detroit Will Breathe protesters on Wednesday, saying it failed to show that demonstrators conspired to commit acts of violence and vandalism over the summer. “The City does not plead any specific allegations of any specific plaintiff conspiring with another to commit an unlawful act,” U.S. District Judge Laurie J. Michelson wrote in the decision.
Credit Sarah Cwiek / Michigan Radio
Some of them sued the city over alleged police brutality and mistreatment during protests last summer. The city counter-sued, saying protesters were part of a civil conspiracy to injure police officers and cause property destruction.
But Judge Laurie Micelson rejected the city’s conspiracy claims, and threw out the counter-suit.
“Most of the statements and posts [from protest organizers] that the City points to in no way suggest an agreement, let alone one to commit unlawful acts,” Michelson wrote. “Instead, they simply evidence DWB organizing and publicizing public protests, albeit with occasional strident and passionate language.”
Image credit: Russ McNamara
Group plans to continue with its civil rights lawsuit, says one of the leaders of the activist organization.
A lawsuit filed by the City of Detroit against anti-police brutality protesters has been thrown out by a federal court judge.
The group Detroit Will Breathe filed suit against the City after several protesters were injured by police during a peaceful demonstration in late August. The City of Detroit countersued, claiming the group constituted a “civil conspiracy.”
Judge Laurie J. Michelson says the city failed to “state a claim for civil conspiracy,” according to the motion.
“There just wasn’t any evidence that we committed any crimes or that we did anything other than challenge the policies and practices of the Detroit Police Department.” Nakia Wallace, Detroit Will Breathe