Image credit: Russ McNamara
The public body voted 5-4 to approve a $200,000 contract for the city’s federal litigation against the Detroit Will Breathe movement.
Detroit City Council approved a $200,000 expenditure that will fund a counter-lawsuit against the city’s Black Lives Matter protesters in a 5-4 vote. City attorneys are suing demonstrators associated with the Detroit Will Breathe movement, claiming they engaged in a civil conspiracy during last summer’s marches. But the protestors sued the city first. Their federal complaint alleges the Detroit Police Department used excessive force to stop demonstrators from exercising their First Amendment rights. A federal judge issued a restraining order against DPD’s use of rubber bullets, chokehold and tear gas against peaceful protesters following the protester lawsuit.