Today, the ACLU of Missouri asked a federal court to require the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department to immediately adopt protocols to protect the Constitutional rights of those observing, recording or participating in protest activity.
“We know that this is a challenging time for the community,” said Tony Rothert, legal director of the ACLU of Missouri. “By requiring police to adopt these common-sense solutions, we can protect the First Amendment rights of the people to express concern about the troubling racial disparities in policing.”
The ACLU filed a motion for a preliminary injunction to make the St. Louis Police enact several protocol changes during protests. The requested solutions are derived from the 2016 consent decree between the U.S. Department of Justice and the Ferguson Police Department.
The ACLU is asking the court for several specific measures to ensure:
- Police not interfere with people recording police activities.
- Officers give adequate warning before making arrests or using chemical agents.
- Police not abuse the ability to declare an “unlawful assembly.”
In the motion, more than 20 witness statements describe in detail unlawful and unconstitutional behavior against people by officers.
“At the core of a vibrant democracy is the people’s right to express free speech and nonviolently protest,” said Jeffrey Mittman, ACLU of Missouri executive director. “Hearing the voices of the people in St. Louis is the first step in creating trust and a long-term dialogue on addressing racial inequities in our region and across Missouri.”
This motion is part of a lawsuit the ACLU filed against the city of St. Louis on Sept. 22 for police misconduct against people during the Stockley verdict demonstrations.
The hearing for this case is scheduled on Oct. 5 at 1 p.m. at the Thomas F. Eagleton federal courthouse, 111 S. 10th St. St. Louis, MO 63102, courtroom 10 South.