Oregon protesters reach settlement with federal government over lawsuit accusing agents of excessive use of force in 2020

A group of racial justice protesters has reached a settlement with the federal government in a lawsuit accusing law enforcement officers sent by President Trump of using excessive force to protect a federal courthouse in 2020.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon said Tuesday that under the settlement, the federal government must compensate plaintiffs for the injuries suffered by federal agents.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon for details on specific compensation amounts.

The plaintiffs include three veterans, a university professor, several Black Lives Matter activists and a man. Grab him off the street.

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“We are proud to represent our brave clients,” Kelly Simon, legal director of the ACLU of Oregon, said in a news release. “They suffered as a result of the unlawful, aggressive actions of federal law enforcement. For serious injuries, the compensation they received was just and equitable. Thank you to our clients and all those who stand up for black lives and against government tyranny. We will stand with you again and again, ACLU of Oregon. Make sure everyone is treated fairly and fairly by government.

In 2020, thousands of protesters took to the streets in Portland and across the country for months following the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. Demonstrators at times clashed with police, and military federal agents were called to Portland to stop the unrest.

The lawsuit accuses federal agents of exceeding their authority, making unlawful arrests and using tear gas, rubber bullets and pepper spray as they tried to stop the riot. Nearly all of the plaintiffs claimed to have suffered physical injuries, some of which were treated in hospitals.

Federal officers fire tear gas at a group of demonstrators during a Black Lives Matter protest at the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse in Portland, Oregon, on July 26, 2020. (Associated Press)

A video shows Christopher David, a plaintiff in the lawsuit and a Navy veteran, being beaten with a baton by one agent outside the courthouse and pepper-sprayed in the face by another agent. During the protest, David suffered two broken bones in his hand.

The lawsuit alleges that then-acting Homeland Security Director Chad Wolf did not have the authority to send more than 100 agents to Portland because he was improperly appointed. Wolf resigned suddenly in 2021, shortly before Trump was due to leave office, saying he was forced to leave due to “recent events,” including a court ruling that his appointment was unlawful.

A later federal investigative report found that militarized federal agents did not receive proper training or equipment and were not planned to respond to the protests without assistance from local police.

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Rioters throw fireworks at police during a protest against police brutality near the federal courthouse in Portland, Oregon, on December 31, 2020. (Getty Images)

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Local police arrested hundreds of protesters in three months, and federal agents arrested nearly 100 protesters during the height of the demonstrations.

“The use of this level of force against veterans, mothers, and other non-violent protesters shocks the conscience,” plaintiff and veteran Nicole Dennison said in a press release. “The way our own government treats us violates Everything we learned in the military.

It is one of several lawsuits filed against the federal government by the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon on behalf of protesters and other groups, including journalists and legal observers.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.