Metro

City settles $18M RNC protest lawsuits

The city has agreed to shell out nearly $18 million to settle dozens of lawsuits filed by protesters, journalists and bystanders who claimed they were wrongfully busted by cops and holed up in overcrowded, filthy locations after rallying outside 2004 Republican National Convention.

The settlement, which still must be approved by a federal judge, would put an end to a nearly decade-long legal fight that included a pending class-action lawsuit by 1,200 people claiming they were wrongly arrested by overzealous officers and individual suits by another 430 plaintiffs claiming similar mistreatment.

Donna Lieberman, executive director of New York City Liberties Union, the lead class-action plaintiff, called the settlement the largest ever involving protesters.

“No lawful protester should ever be treated like a criminal in New York City, or anywhere else in the United States,” she said. “This historic settlement must serve as a reminder to New York City and government across the country that the right to protest is a fundamental pillar of a fair and functioning democracy. And it is the role of government and law enforcement to not only tolerate protest, but protect and defend it.”

The NYCLU claims the NYPD didn’t have probable cause to make mass arrests during the Madison Square Garden-based convention in which then-President George W. Bush was nominated by the GOP to run for a second term.

The city would not admit guilt under the agreement, which pays out $10.3 million to the plaintiffs – or about $6,400 each – and another $7.6 million to the plaintiff’s lawyers.

The total cost to the city for the civil-rights suits is expected to be about $35 million. This includes another $16 million the city has already spent in legal fees and other costs fighting the case and $1.8 million shelled out to settle another 142 related claims.

“It was vitally important to defend the city in this litigation, and we are proud of the major victories we achieved,” said Celeste Koeleveld, executive assistant corporation counsel for public safety. “Among other successes, the constitutionality of key police policies used during the RNC was upheld, and an effort to restrict the NYPD’s ability to police large-scale events was rejected.”

One of the plaintiff’s who settled, Nazie Shekarchi, 42, of Los Angeles, said she is still haunted by her arrest.

“Two years ago, I was advised to withdraw my name from consideration to cook for First Lady Michelle Obama because I was afraid I would not be cleared by the Secret Service’s background check,” said Shekarchi, who claims she was not protesting — but only visiting — Union Square when she was busted along with other protesters by cops.

“I’m a law abiding citizen and I never imagined something like this would happen,” said Skekarchi, during a NYCLU rally outside City Hall.

Additional reporting by Matthew Abrahams