Court issues restraining order against the City of Akron

Akron, Ohio (WOIO) - According to a press release from the law firm Friedman, Gilbert + Gerhardstein, a federal Magistrate of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio has entered the parties’ stipulated temporary restraining order against the City of Akron to protect the constitutional rights of protesters.

The press release said, the city and its police department are restrained from using non-lethal force against nonviolent protesters effective immediately; the order will expire after 14 days.

Civil rights law firm Friedman, Gilbert + Gerhardstein filed the motion for the order on behalf of the Akron Bail Fund on April 20, 2023. “After today’s hearing, the City of Akron has agreed to a temporary order which prohibits it from using excessive force against peaceful protesters,” states FG+G partner Sarah Gelsomino. “The order requires the City to recognize protester rights under the First Amendment. We hope that with this order, unnecessary violence against demonstrators will stop.”

“The City of Akron should be ensuring that protected demonstrators can safely get their message heard, not punishing them for exercising their rights. This is a major victory for the Akron Bail Fund and other demonstrators,” says FG+G attorney Elizabeth Bonham.

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