The city of Philadelphia has agreed to pay $9.25 million to over 300 people who say police injured them during racial justice protests following the murder of George Floyd in 2020.
According to city officials, a settlement has been reached with plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit who say that they suffered physical and emotional injuries due to the city’s response to civil unrest and protests on May 31 and June 1, 2020, following George Floyd’s death.
Residents of West Philadelphia and individuals who took part in protests on Interstate 676 calling for police accountability were among the plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
Officers were seen on video using tear gas and pepper spray on protesters. Plaintiffs in the case, officers also used rubber bullets. According to the city, a total of $9.25 million will be distributed among 343 plaintiffs under the agreement.
“The pain and trauma caused by a legacy of systemic racism and police brutality against Black and Brown Philadelphians is immeasurable,” said Mayor Jim Kenney of Philadelphia in a statement. “We hope this settlement will provide some healing from the harm experienced by people in their neighborhoods in West Philadelphia and during demonstrations on I-676 in 2020,” he added.
Additionally, a $500-600,000 grant to the Bread & Roses Community Fund will provide free mental health counseling for residents of West Philadelphia. The community organization promotes racial, social, and economic justice in the city.
The city announced that in addition to plaintiffs in the lawsuit, all residents within an undetermined area of the 52nd Street corridor where protests took place in West Philadelphia will have access to mental health therapy.
In response to the settlement, Danielle Outlaw, Philadelphia Police Department Commissioner, said her department “is a learning organization” that intends to move forward in meaningful ways. “We will continue to work non-stop towards improving what we as police do to protect the first amendment rights of protestors, keep our communities and officers safe, and to ultimately prove that we are committed to a higher standard,” said Outlaw.