from all headline news: The American Civil Liberties Union sues the U.S. Secret Service and state and local police for allegedly using discriminatory practices during a 2004 campaign event for President Bush.
The class-action suit claims law enforcement protecting Mr. Bush used unreasonable force to clear about 200 protestors from the area.
The ACLU contents the Secret Service ordered police to move people peacefully protesting against the Iraq war, while permitting pro-Bush demonstrators to remain on the sidewalks.
David Fidanque, executive director of the Oregon ACLU, tells The Associated Press, "Our primary motive is to prevent this kind of activity from happening again in the future."
Shelly Elkovich, a protest organizer, tells the AP the group made sure to inform police the demonstration would be safe. She says they were told everything would be okay if they stayed on the sidewalks.
Instead, about 40 police officers in riot gear removed the protestors from the sidewalks.
The ACLU is asking the court to grant an injunction barring the Secret Service and police from discriminating against protesters in the future.
It also seeks monetary damages for demonstrators who were injured, and as well as punitive damages.
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