As potential Trump rally looms, ACLU seeks injunction on Phoenix police

PHOENIX—The individuals and organizations that recently sued the City of Phoenix, Chief of Phoenix Police Jeri Williams, and a number of Phoenix police officers for violating the rights of thousands of peaceful anti-Trump protesters last year asked a judge today to issue an emergency order prohibiting Phoenix police from taking similar unlawful action during President Trump’s possible upcoming visit.

“We feel compelled to ask a judge to step in especially because 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.”

The plaintiffs in Puente v. City of Phoenix, community organizations Puente and Poder in Action, and four individuals who will represent a class of people whose First Amendment protected viewpoints critical of the president were violently suppressed by Phoenix police, are asking a court to:

Prevent Phoenix police from dispersing anti-Trump protestors or forcefully interfering with or disrupting their exercise of First Amendment rights to speak and protest, and to associate with others with similar views, unless: (1) there is a valid and documented justification for so doing such as a threat of imminent serious harms to others because of the actions of numerous protestors; if such actions are done by a small number of protestors they may be isolated and the protest continued; and (2) the assembly has been publicly declared to be unlawful on valid and documented grounds; and (3) adequate audible warnings have been given in English and Spanish about how to disperse and where the protest can re-convene; and (4) adequate audible warnings are given about the planned use of force by Defendants or their agents in English and Spanish before any force is used against any protestors;
and
Prevent Phoenix police from using projectile or chemical weapons against protestors in a manner contrary to legal requirements, manufacturers’ directions, and PPD policy, including not aiming them at upper bodies or heads, nor firing at close range of any protestors.
https://www.acluaz.org/en/press-releases/court-order-sought-prohibit-unlawful-action-phoenix-pd-during-upcoming-trump-visit