The city of Philadelphia agreed to pay $9.25 million to protesters who attended Black Lives Matter rallies in 2020 following George Floyd’s death.
The settlement was announced by a law firm that represented 237 protesters who claimed physical injuries and mental trauma.
The city will also pay $500,000 for counseling services and will cut its involvement in a federal program that provides surplus military equipment to local police forces.
Protesters filed four federal lawsuits against the city claiming they suffered nerve damage from overly tight zip ties and scars from rubber bullets.
They also claimed that exposure to chemical agents like pepper spray required hospital treatment and caused mental trauma.
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said in a statement that black and brown Philadelphians have been inflicted by “immeasurable pain and trauma”.
“While this is just one step in the direction toward reconciliation, 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,” Kenney said.
The protests already cost the city $21 million, according to Security Management.
Philly isn’t the first city to issue payouts to BLM protesters. New York City will also pay between $4 and $6 million due to injuries from zip ties and pepper spray.
City Continues to Struggle With Crime
George Soros, the liberal megadonor, funded current Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner.
Under his policies, the city has seen robberies with firearms up over 20% and auto theft up nearly 40%, according to Free Beacon.
Voters in the city rank crime as one of their top issues, and even Democrat candidates say they want to push back against Krasner’s catch and release policies.
“We need to bring back the certainty of punishment in the city of Philadelphia,” Democratic candidate Derek Green said.
Police union leader John McNesby said the city is over 1,000 officers short of its ideal staffing rate.
It just gets worse each and every day. Paying them for pain and trauma? Who in their right mind came up with this one?
Filthydelphia should be sued by it’s residents for stupidity.
What pain & trama?? The EVIL so called leaders need to suffer like the America people have.
TRUE STUPIDITY!! STUPID CAN NOT BE FIX! Dump the fools
Correct, you can’t fix stupid.
When will BLM be made to pay for all of it’s Pain and Trauma caused by their burning, looting and murder during their so called peaceful riots. Only idiots would pay them for
their illegal breaking of the laws and their removal from our interstates road systems.
But then the law only applies to white people.
People in Phila should leave that f”king city in droves why should they pay those filthy criminals anything they belong in jail. Philadelphians are even stupider than California’s the dumbest f”ks
That’s called giving in to terrorists. I can’t believe that the city I once lived and worked in has become that leftist and outright vile and stupid. Now when the city totally goes to pot it will want the state or country to bail it out. Of course, it is the city where Wilson Goode had a bomb dropped on a house and eventually burn down the whole neighborhood. Google it.
Maybe don’t riot, don’t get hurt??
This lawsuit is complete BS…and did I mention that BLM protestors have been complicit in every respect. They deserve nothing…they DO NOT EVEN DESERVE THE TIME I’M GIVING THEM in this brief memo. Shame on all those who are trying to self enrich themselves through this suit.
Here’s a thought: If you don’t like zip ties, tear gas, rubber bullets, and all the other nastiness that goes to bad actions, don’t riot.
OK. Agree to pay them, but before they get the money, fine them the exact amount each person gets for damages incurred in the riots. Simple!!!
Throw them in the Delaware with their hands tied, and give them the money if they float. I lived in Philly for 35+ years, and it has gone to hell in a Soros handbasket.