Occupy Boston Plaintiffs Agree to Voluntary Dismissal

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org

BOSTON — Plaintiffs from Occupy Boston today filed a voluntary dismissal, ending their lawsuit against the City of Boston, Occupy Boston v. City of Boston, et al. The participants in Occupy Boston have decided that continuing to pursue their goals of a more socially and economically just and democratic society may be better accomplished through means other than slow-moving long-term litigation.

“The Occupy Boston movement, and its important message about economic justice, will continue despite the loss of the Dewey Square encampment. We should all admire the manner in which the protesters sought out and won helpful court intervention and then ultimately respected the Court’s decision when it went against them and peacefully left Dewey Square,” said attorney Howard Cooper of Todd & Weld.

“Since the Occupy movement began in September, its participants have used their Constitutional rights to speech, assembly, and petition to send a powerful message: that no one, no matter how wealthy or powerful, is above the law, and that inequality under the law must be addressed. That idea, with roots in the founding principles of our country, lives on,” said Carol Rose, executive director of the ACLU of Massachusetts.

“The National Lawyers Guild supports the Occupy movement in its quest for a more egalitarian and just society. Thus, the Guild will continue to provide legal assistance to Occupy Boston as the movement enters its new phase in that struggle,” stated Urszula Masny-Latos, executive director of the National Lawyers Guild, Massachusetts Chapter.

A copy of the dismissal is available here:
http://aclum.org/sites/all/files/legal/occupy_boston/notice_of_voluntary…

Plaintiffs in the suit were Occupy Boston, Kristopher Martin, Sasha Sagan, Noah McKenna, and Jennie Seidewand.

The ACLU of Massachusetts and National Lawyers Guild-Massachusetts Chapter, through attorney Howard Cooper of Todd & Weld, have worked to protect the rights of Occupy Boston protestors. For more information, go to:

http://aclum.org/occupy_legal