On Tuesday, September 18, HSR and co-counsel filed for a temporary restraining order (“TRO”) against the City of Phoenix and Phoenix police. Based on the City’s denial of any wrongdoing following the police’s violent attacks on peaceful protesters during an August 22, 2017 Trump rally in Phoenix, this police violence will be repeated if and when Trump holds another rally in Phoenix unless the court issues a TRO. During the 2017 rally, Phoenix police fired tear gas, rubber bullets and other projectiles at peaceful protestors, causing trauma and physical harm to protestors – including elderly and disabled persons, pregnant women, and children.
Plaintiffs are represented by Dan Stormer, Joshua Piovia-Scott and Cindy Pánuco of Hadsell Stormer & Renick LLP, the ACLU of Arizona and attorney Dan Pochoda.
“The Phoenix police association’s response to the filing of the lawsuit -which was to characterize the peaceful plaintiffs in this action as radical, leftist, anarchists -also virtually ensures this animus towards the plaintiffs will result in the same violent actions being used to silence them again at the upcoming protest unless the court intervenes,” said attorney Cindy Pánuco.
“We feel compelled to ask a judge to step in especially because the city leadership’s praise of the Phoenix Police Department’s violent actions in August 2017 all but guarantees the same violent conduct will be repeated,” said Kathy Brody, ACLU of Arizona legal director. “People are afraid to attend protests in Phoenix now because of how police behaved last year. We believe that people will be more willing to express their anti-Trump views if a court intervenes.”
ACLU press release:
Media:
http://ktar.com/story/2226701/president-donald-trump-will-not-make-phoenix-visit-this-month/
http://ktar.com/story/2226268/legally-speaking-breaking-down-aclus-lawsuit-against-phoenix-police/