The city of Detroit is trying a new approach during a year in which, like many other cities in the US, it has seen violent protests and destruction on the streets.
Detroit has filed a lawsuit against Black Lives Matter activists, claiming a “civilian conspiracy” and claiming that the protests in the city “have repeatedly become violent, endangering the lives of police and the public,” according to reports.
The city claims that the activists participated in the conspiracy, “defamed” the mayor and the police and claims that the city should receive damages, reported The Intercept.
The city cites four protests that took place in the city this year and claims that the injuries of the police officers included “cracked vertebrae, lacerations and contusions”, according to the report.
VIDEO-CAMERA BOSTON-CAMERA PROMPT PROBES IN ALLEGED POLICE BRUTALITY DURING GEORGE FLOYD PROTEST
Repeated violence should disprove the claims of the BLM Detroit Will Breathe protest group that demonstrations should be protected under the first amendment, the city says, the report said.
The lawsuit was filed earlier this year as a counterclaim after activists sued the city in late August, claiming that police officers “responded repeatedly with violence” when protesters protested.
The move angered critics, including US Representative Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., Who criticized the city’s counterclaim as “an unimaginable attack on our constitutional rights,” in a November Detroit Free Press essay.
Rep. SUA Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich. (Associated Press)
Following the protesters’ trial, a Sept. 4 judge ordered Detroit police to stop using sticks, shields, rubber bullets and other anti-riot tools and tactics against crowds.
City Police Chief James Craig responded at the time that his officers never used force against any protesters who remained peaceful.
“If someone opposes the arrest or tries to attack our officers, we will use the reasonable and necessary force to overcome the resistance,” he told the Detroit News at the time. “We do not want the protesters to be injured, nor do we want injured officers.”
Click here to get the FOX NEWS app
Protesters have so far responded to the city’s trial by seeking support from national legal groups and appealing to City Council members to cut off funding for the city’s legal actions, The Intercept reported.
The city has also received external support, the report notes, including from the National Police Association.