The US Supreme Court Monday narrowly sided with the organizer of a 2016 Baton Rouge protest in which a police officer was injured and sued.
SCOTUS tossed a lower court ruling allowing the lawsuit against Black Lives Matter and activist DeRay McKesson to proceed. McKesson argued that the First Amendment should shield him from such a suit. The unidentified officer was struck struck in the face with a brick or piece of concrete; though, not by McKesson.
Reuters reports SCOTUS did not rule on the merits of the case. According to an unsigned statement, “The constitutional issue, though undeniably important, is implicated only if Louisiana law permits recovery under these circumstances in the first place.” New associated Justice Amy Coney Barrett did not hear the case. Justice Clarence Thomas dissented.
For now, the case continue in the lower courts.
Should organizers of events be held liable if they turn violent, even if they didn’t participate in the violence themselves? How much responsibility to organizers have to ensure peace at events?