Occupy D.C. activists file lawsuit against Bank of America, District government

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November, 14, 2012 -- Eleven activists affiliated with Occupy DC have filed a lawsuit against Bank of America, property management firm The John Akridge Co., District of Columbia officials, members of the Metropolitan Police Department, and others.

The lawsuit arises out of a series of arrests that took place over the course of four days in April 2012 in front of Bank of America’s Vermont Ave. office. The plaintiffs have information indicating that officials from Bank of America, the Metropolitan Police Department, and The John Akridge Co. held a meeting in which they conspired to have the protesters arrested for engaging in a lawful demonstration that Occupy D.C. members had called a “sleepful protest.”

The result was a dozen unlawful arrests over several mornings, in which the protesters were charged with Blocking Passage for sitting on the sidewalk, not physically impeding foot traffic in any way. During the April 11th arrests, an MPD officer was caught on camera remarking about what the protesters were doing, “We know it’s not illegal.” All charges were later dismissed.