DC to pay $450,000 to 8 anti-war protesters
Associated Press
11/10/09 11:31 AM EST
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| Anti-war protesters (AFP File PHOTO/Mark RALSTON) (AFP/Getty Images) |
WASHINGTON — The District of Columbia has agreed to pay $450,000 to eight anti-war protesters who were interrogated after demonstrations at the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in 2002.
The protesters claimed D.C. police arrested them in part because they were wearing black, a color associated with anarchists. They said that after their detention, they were interrogated by the FBI about their beliefs.
Authorities claimed for years that the incident never happened. Recently uncovered police logs confirmed it.
As part of the settlement announced Tuesday, police will have to formally approve and document any effort by federal authorities to gain access to detained protesters.
D.C. Attorney General Peter Nickles says he hopes to settle three other cases stemming from the 2002 protests by Thanksgiving.
