Anti-Israel protesters sue D.C., Capitol police for excessive force during DNC HQ protests

Nine people protesting Israel's war against Hamas outside the Democratic National Committee headquarters last year have accused Capitol and D.C. police of using excessive force.

Their lawsuit alleges the police, without justification, pushed, choked, and dragged protesters and sprayed them with chemical irritants.

The liberal activist group Civil Rights Corps represents the protesters who claim they were peacefully protesting outside the DNC headquarters last fall when injured by the police, The Washington Post reported.

The plaintiffs allege the police used tactics to retaliate against them, in the process violating their First Amendment right to free speech and their Fourth Amendment rights to be free from excessive force and unreasonable seizure.

"We know that the [Metropolitan Police Department] and the Capitol Police are capable of respecting protesters' First Amendment rights. There's constantly protests in D.C., and not all of them end like this," said plaintiffs' attorney Sumayya Saleh. "The response to the November 15 protest with immediate, unprovoked violence was very targeted and intentional."

Representatives for the D.C. police declined to comment. Capitol Police did not respond to The Post.

The plaintiffs also allege police violated D.C. law by failing to give a clear order to disperse and not providing a clear path to compliance before arresting protestors.

Shortly after the protests, a Capitol Police spokesperson said an order to disperse was given and defied.