"The Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals issued a 2-1 decision allowing police officer John Ford to continue his lawsuit against DeRay McKesson, a gay Black Lives Matter activist. The court's ruling suggests that McKesson could be held liable for negligence due to his role in organizing the protest, raising concerns about the implications for free speech and assembly rights."
"The majority ruling stated, 'We concluded that a jury could find that he breached this duty by leading the protest in a manner in which it was reasonably foreseeable that the protest would lead to a violent confrontation with police.' This indicates a significant shift in how protest leaders may be viewed legally."
A federal appeals court allowed a lawsuit against DeRay McKesson, a gay Black Lives Matter activist, to proceed. The lawsuit stems from a 2016 protest in Baton Rouge, where a police officer was injured. The court's decision suggests that McKesson could be held liable for negligence due to his role in organizing the protest. The ruling raises concerns about the potential chilling effect on free speech and assembly rights, as it implies that protest leaders may be held responsible for violence during events.
Read at LGBTQ Nation
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]