Civil Rights Corps has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit on behalf of nine plaintiffs, alleging constitutional violations by law enforcement during a protest last November. The demonstration, held on Nov. 15 outside the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C., was organized to advocate for a ceasefire in Palestine.

Civil Rights Corps, a nonprofit organization dedicated to challenging systemic injustice in the U.S. legal system, filed the lawsuit as part of its ongoing efforts to address and remedy civil rights violations across the country.

CRC filed the lawsuit on Aug. 16 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, claiming that officers from the Metropolitan Police Department and the United States Capitol Police assaulted and battered the plaintiffs without warning, provocation or a lawful dispersal order. The complaint asserts that these actions violated plaintiffs’ First and Fourth Amendment rights. U.S. Capitol Police previously released a statement responding to the allegations. In a statement emailed to Prism, it said, “The crowd failed to obey lawful orders, so our officers acted quickly to protect the Members of Congress from a crowd that had violent people in it.”

According to the complaint, the plaintiffs were part of a large, diverse group of protesters who had gathered to support a ceasefire resolution, a position reportedly endorsed by nearly 80% of Democratic Party voters and backed by U.S. Representative Cori Bush. The protesters, who were wearing matching “Ceasefire Now” t-shirts, were singing and chanting in front of the DNC building when police officers allegedly descended upon them and began forcibly dispersing the crowd.

“Even in the shadow of the militarized crackdown on protests of police brutality in 2020, I was completely unprepared for the assault that answered our pleas for peace that night on the steps of the DNC headquarters,” said Sam Rise, the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit.

The complaint details severe physical assaults, including strangulation, pepper spraying and sexual assault, with officers allegedly using excessive force to silence the protesters. The lawsuit further claims that two plaintiffs were strangled with their keffiyehs, a symbol of solidarity with Palestine.

“MPD and USCP’s brutal response to the protest was aimed to suppress plaintiffs’ speech in support of Palestinian life,” said Sumayya Saleh, Senior Attorney at Civil Rights Corps. Saleh emphasized that the officers specifically targeted expressions of solidarity with Palestine.

The lawsuit seeks a declaration that the defendants violated the plaintiffs’ rights under the U.S. Constitution, Washington, D.C., common law, and Washington, D.C.’s First Amendment Assemblies Act. Several unidentified officers from MPD and USCP, as well as MPD Commander Jason Bagshaw, are among the defendants.

This incident is part of what the lawsuit describes as a broader pattern of police repression against pro-Palestine protests. The complaint highlights a statement made by Chicago’s Police Superintendent, who claimed that “protesting peacefully does not always mean you’re protected by the First Amendment,” as an example of the hostile environment in the protests.

“Statements like this are antithetical to the First Amendment and invite the kind of assault and blatant disregard that MPD and USCP inflicted on the plaintiffs, causing lasting physical and psychological trauma,” Saleh said.

The lawsuit also highlights MPD’s history of disparate policing practices, noting that right-wing protesters often face less hostility compared with progressive and racial justice demonstrators, who have been met with violence and chemical weapons. The complaint mentions that MPD Commander Bagshaw has been a controversial figure, with activists calling for his removal due to his alleged excessive use of force.

“The violence that the lawsuit alleges MPD and USCP inflicted against people speaking in support of Palestinian lives mirrors the violence that police inflicted against Black people speaking in support of Black lives in 2014 and 2020,” said Kiah Duggins, attorney at Civil Rights Corps. “Violent police suppression of First Amendment activity is a stain on democracy.”