A press conference announcing the filing of a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city, the mayor, chief of police and up to 50 unnamed police officers for their violent actions against peaceful demonstrators on August 22 was held Friday at lunchtime in front of Portland City Hall.

Among the 9 plaintiffs in the federal civil rights lawsuit are Don Joughin and Corrina Andrews and their young children Sophie, Kiernan, and Daschle. All of them, including the youngest, 10 months old at the time, were pepper gassed by Portland police officers while standing peacefully at 2nd Avenue and Alder Street on August 22, after being blocked in by the police. Many others, including several of the other plaintiffs, were menaced with rubber bullets and pepper gassed at other locations around the downtown area.

In addition to the federal civil rights claims, plaintiffs also seek supplemental state claims and injunctive relief, demanding that the mayor (as police commissioner) reform the Portland Police Bureau into an organization that serves and protects the people of the city, rather than attacking them, often in much more brutal ways than pepper gas and rubber bullets.

KBOO Radio News Story on Lawsuit Press Conference

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