Several people who participated in the 2020 George Floyd protests have brought a proposed class action in Florida federal court against Fort Lauderdale officials, alleging their civil rights were violated by the police department’s violent response to the peaceful demonstrations.
In their seven-count lawsuit filed Friday, Jayanna Jackson, Mike Gabelus, and Scott Ross accuse city officials and the city’s police department of violating their First Amendment rights after police used tear gas and projectiles on them without justification as they peacefully protested on May 31, 2020, following the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer.
Michael T. Davis of Kuehne Davis Law PA, who represents Jackson, Gabelus, and Ross, gave a press conference in downtown Fort Lauderdale on Monday near where the protest took place.
“The city of Fort Lauderdale Police Department did not like their message, did not like their decision to assemble, and for an hour, they deployed tear gas and [kinetic impact projectiles] to make sure they could not speak anymore,” Davis said. “This class action lawsuit seeks justice on their behalf. What happened on May 31, 2020, should never happen again.”
