The Cost of US Police Brutality During Protests: $55 Million and counting

[PA Democrat]

Major US cities have paid $55 million for police criminality against activists.

The US court system has found criminal police conduct – beatings, false arrests, other violence and felonies – at anti-war/ anti-G8/FTAA, WTO protests to be so flagrant that payouts to the victims of police illegality and violence have cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars.


The payouts for unprovoked police violence and illegality, below, do not include what cities have paid their own lawyers to defend the police in court. These payouts do not include cases that are still in litigation, such as the class action suit of some 800 Chicagoans arrested for demonstrating against the start of the war on Iraq in 2003.

More at:

http://towardfreedom.com/activism/2499-the-cost-of-us-police-brutality-during-protests

Please note that these cases takes YEARS to wind their way through the court system, so these figures do not include more recent events.

[Scuba]

1. Recced to zero. Here in Wisconsin I've found police to be very sympathetic to protesters....

...I suspect that many cases of violence by the police are "ordered" by the PTB.

[PA Democrat]

2. I think the police in Madison could identify personally with the protesters.

They were fellow public employees, fellow union members whose livelihoods were being threatened. I think that is also why there were few if any people on DU denigrating the efforts of the Madison protesters.

[PA Democrat]

3. I guess unreccers don't like facts.

Police brutality costs the taxpayers money because that is who ultimately foots the bill.

So for those people who don't seem to mind the attacks on the right to free speech, please be aware that there is a financial price to be paid.