Denver must be held accountable for its violent police response to racial justice protesters in the summer of 2020, setting the stage for similar lawsuits nationwide, a federal jury in Denver decided Friday.

The city government must pay $14 million collectively to the 12 protesters who accused police of utilizing unnecessary force, including the use of tear gas, pepper spray, and rubber bullets. The decision marks the first time a jury has held a city liable for violating protesters’ First Amendment rights during the nationwide protests that occurred after George Floyd‘s death in 2020.