Detroit Loses Conspiracy Claim Against George Floyd Protesters

Detroit’s civil claim that the group Detroit Will Breathe and 14 individuals conspired to incite rioting and other unlawful activity during last summer’s George Floyd-related racial justice protests will be dismissed, a federal court in Michigan said.

DWB and the other plaintiffs sued Detroit, alleging that the city’s police responded to peaceful demonstrations in the wake of the killing of Floyd with beatings, tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets, sound cannons, flash grenades, chokeholds, and mass arrests without probable cause.

The city brought a counterclaim alleging the plaintiffs conspired “for the illegal purpose of disturbing the peace, engaging in disorderly ...