
© Reuters/Jonathan DrakeProtesters facing a line of riot policemen in Raleigh, North Carolina
Civil rights groups are celebrating a settlement with the city of Charlotte, North Carolina imposing new bans on police dispersing protests, stemming from a 2020 George Floyd demonstration where CS tear gas was used.
The lawsuit brought forth by the groups
alleged that police orchestrated an attack on hundreds of protesters who gathered on June 2, 2020 to protest the death of George Floyd the previous month in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Footage from the protest appeared to show
protesters being surrounded and chemical weapons being deployed by police, a tactic activists were quick to denounce and claim it was excessive force.
Part of the settlement reached with the city includes
new restrictions on how police in the city can handle dispersing protesting crowds. The use of CS tear gas, for instance, will be prohibited. Other revisions to police directives include
allotted time being given for protesters to disperse after an order is given, and for that order to be
given in both English and Spanish. At least two exits for protesters to disperse also need to be clearly communicated. Other measures include
prohibiting pepper balls being aimed at the heads and necks of protesters.The revisions will be in place for four years and include "a mechanism to enforce violations," according to a press release announcing the settlement.
Comment: Freedom rallies have erupted in France, UK and Italy. In France, there were 168 demonstrations across the country on Saturday 24th July. France's interior ministry said that 161,000 people protested against COVID-19 restrictions and the vaccination campaign. France 24 reported that "French anti-riot police fired teargas on Saturday as clashes erupted during protests in central Paris...".
Check out the latest NewsReal show for more information: NewsReal: Governments Everywhere Mandate Vaccines! But Will People Resist?