"LA to pay $12.85m for suits against police
LOS ANGELES - Members of the Los Angeles City Council agreed unanimously yesterday to pay $12.85 million to immigration demonstrators and bystanders who sued the city claiming they were injured or mistreated by police officers during a May Day 2007 melee. The payout will settle nine lawsuits against the city.
The settlement is another blow to the city's treasury related to Los Angeles Police Department misconduct. It comes on the heels of the council's approval last week of a $20.5-million payout to four current and former police officers who said they were falsely arrested and mistreated in the wake of the scandal involving the police department's Rampart Division.
The council still faces other legal troubles related to the May Day incident - there were 27 pending cases related to the demonstration before yesterday's settlement, according to officials with the city attorney. Forty-two people, including nine journalists, were injured as a pro-immigration march wound down in MacArthur Park, just west of downtown, on May 1. Police officials said the scuffle was set off by a group of agitators who threw bottles and other objects at police.
THERE THEY ARE!!!
The department's Metro Division used batons and fired rubber bullets to disperse what was a predominantly peaceful gathering....
Yeah, ANYONE GETTING VIOLENT at a PROTESTS has their OWN AGENDA: DISCREDIT the MOVEMENT!!
And CUI BONO, 'eh?
