The city of Minneapolis has reached a $600,000 settlement with 12 protesters who were injured during demonstrations after the May 2020 police killing of George Floyd, the American Civil Liberties Union announced Wednesday.

The agreement, which also includes numerous reforms, was accepted the same day by a federal judge, making it official after the city approved it in October.

The settlement includes an injunction that bars the city from arresting, threatening to arrest or using physical force – including chemical sprays, flash bang or concussion grenades and foam tipped bullets – against people who are engaging in lawful protests. It also limits officers’ use of chemical agents to disperse peaceful demonstrators. And it requires that officers have their body cameras recording and unobstructed while at protests, according to the ACLU.

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Two lawsuits filed in 2020 and later consolidated accused Minneapolis police of using unnecessary and excessive force against protesters. They alleged that police used tear gas as well as foam and rubber bullets to intimidate them and quash the demonstrations, and also that officers often fired without warning or giving orders to leave.

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