Seven of the over 600 activists who were arrested at this year’s protest of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank have recently filed a federal lawsuit against the Washington, D.C., Police Department, the U.S. Attorney General and the National Park Service.
The activists, who were arrested for disorderly conduct in clashes with Washington, D.C., police, included seven students from George Washington University.
The lawsuit claims the Washington, D.C., police engaged in reckless confinement and denied them their right to legal counsel.
The GWU suit is the first lawsuit to surface from the protests.
Jonathan Turley, a GWU law professor who is also defending the students, stated in a press release that the police violated the students’ First, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and 14th amendment rights.
The instrument of violation was the method police used to exercise mass arrests of protesters. The method is called the “trap and arrest” method and involves sealing an area and arresting anyone who enters the area, regardless of whether or not they know what is going on.
“Under this policy, the police sought to suppress the number of demonstrators by encircling and then arresting hundreds of individuals who were prevented from leaving the arrest zones,” Turley said.
William Weeden, a professor of clinical law at the University of Wisconsin, said the method could violate the students’ rights if the force was excessive.
“What it really comes down to is if the force was excessive,” Weeden said.
Washington, D.C., police chief Charles Ramsey said protestors were blocking the streets before they were arrested and posed a threat of shutdown for the city.
“If they filed a suit, that’s their right, and we’ll answer it when the time comes,” Ramsey said to the Washington Post. “I don’t have any problem with any of the actions taken during the IMF weekend.”
Donald Downs, a professor of journalism and mass communications at UW, said journalists have no special privileges and must act like regular citizens
“Journalists have no special rights over the public when it comes to protests,” Downs said. “You can’t trespass — you have to abide by all laws which are not designed to limit your speech. This includes not obeying reasonable police officers requests and not blocking transportation.”
As for the arrest method Washington, D.C., police used to detain protestors, Downs said that part of the lawsuit might stand a chance.
“They might have a claim there,” Downs said. “Unless you have a major problem, this is too broad of a sweep.”
Before arresting the students, Washington, D.C., police said they gave a verbal warning before closing in on the protestors. Students from GWU said no such warning was made.
“I even asked some of [the police officers] in the gymnasium if they heard that announcement, and no one said yes,” said Chris Zarconi, photo editor at The Hatchet, GWU’s student newspaper.
Attorneys for the students said they hope to clear the students’ records and are requesting punitive damages on behalf of the students.
