Picket lines-do not cross
Many protesters who were involved in the Occupy Wall Street movement were arrested for frivolous charges during their demonstrations. These protesters then filed suit against the city in federal court stating that their right to free speech and free assembly were violated. The Huffington Post states, “Over the course of multiple protests in New York, many Occupy supporters were arrested in situations in which the police blocked or “kettled” demonstrators and then charged them with minor violations like obstructing the sidewalk”. This is the latest and largest settlement regarding the 2012 arrests, a $583,000 settlement was reached Tuesday, June 10. Over $1 million has been spent by New York City settling Occupy lawsuits such as this.