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JonLP24

(29,322 posts)
Wed Nov 22, 2017, 01:40 AM Nov 2017

ACLU OF ARIZONA SUES PHOENIX POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR FAILURE TO RELEASE RECORDS ABOUT TRUMP PROTEST

PHOENIX — The American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona filed a lawsuit today against the Phoenix Police Department because of the agency’s refusal to release public records concerning the large, peaceful protests of President Trump’s rally in August. The protests ended after the Phoenix Police Department aggressively and indiscriminately used chemical agents and other violent tactics to disperse the protesters.

"The ACLU of Arizona received many, many complaints from people who witnessed and suffered from the Phoenix Police Department's extreme tactics against peaceful protesters," said ACLU of Arizona Legal Director Kathy Brody. "The department failed to protect the First Amendment rights of demonstrators that night. Now, the public deserves to see the critical records documenting the Phoenix Police Department's actions. The department must stop withholding the information about how and why officers used violent force and sent many Arizonans home with cuts, bruises, and other injuries."

On August 22, President Trump held a rally at the Phoenix Convention Center. A large number of protesters peacefully exercised their First Amendment rights outside the Convention Center for hours. At about 8:30 p.m., without any warning, Phoenix Police Department officers shot “pepper balls,” which release a gaseous irritant, deployed pepper spray, and fired rubber bullets into the crowds, which included children and people with mobility and respiratory issues.

The ACLU of Arizona submitted two public-records requests to the Phoenix Police Department related to the August 22 protest, with the first request submitted more than 12 weeks ago. The Phoenix Police Department has refused to provide any records in response to those requests, but has admitted that it has gathered records responsive to the ACLU of Arizona’s requests, and has publicly used those records to refute claims of police malfeasance during the protest.
https://www.acluaz.org/en/press-releases/aclu-arizona-sues-phoenix-police-department-failure-release-records-about-trump

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