NYC agrees to pay millions to protesters boxed in by police

New York City will pay $21,500 each to hundreds of protesters who were boxed in by police during racial justice protests in 2020, according to a court filing.

Why it matters: If a judge approves the settlement, it would be one of the largest sums ever awarded per person in a class action case surrounding mass arrests, the New York Times reports.

• The settlement would cost the city somewhere in the ballpark of $4 million and $6 million. About 300 people were at the protest, and about 90 of them settled with the city on other complaints.
• In 2010, Washington, D.C., agreed to pay $18,000 per person to those arrested during a protest near the World Bank and International Monetary Fund buildings, according to the Washington Post.

Details: The New York City lawsuit involved about 300 people who were arrested in June 2020 during protests over the killing of George Floyd.

• Police penned in protesters who gathered in the Bronx and stopped them from leaving on June 4, according to the lawsuit.
• Police used "zip-tie cuffs" to restrain protesters, the lawsuit says. The officers also swung batons at protesters and used pepper spray on them.
• "Many protesters were left injured and bleeding," the lawsuit states. "Some protesters fainted, or lost consciousness and went into convulsions."

What they're saying: The New York Police Department said in a statement that it "remains committed to continually improving its practices in every way possible."

• The department said the 2020 protests were "challenging" and officers "did their utmost to help facilitate people’s rights to peaceful expression all while addressing acts of lawlessness including wide-scale rioting, mass chaos, violence, and destruction."

Go deeper: George Floyd protests: What you need to know