In February, half a dozen Occupy protesters filed a lawsuit, which will be embedded below, claiming the State of Minnesota, among others, used them as "guinea pigs," by giving them drugs, then bringing them to a facility to observe them.
Last week that lawsuit received a hearing in front of a magistrate, where the claim of the these protesters is that officers approached them at an Occupy Minneapolis demonstration, offered them "powerful marijuana," then took them for observation.
The plaintiffs, say the weren't informed and didn't realize until later that they had been subjects of the state’s “Drug Recognition Evaluator Training Program.” One of the protesters says he was given at least 10 pipe bowls worth of marijuana, according to the lawsuit, which claims that police violated their privacy and First Amendment rights.
The state admits the protesters were used as guinea pigs, only the defendants being, state and local police departments, claim the protesters were informed and they volunteered.
According to Jason Hiveley, an attorney representing several police departments, "Each Plaintiff voluntarily used marijuana and voluntarily participated in the evaluations performed by the officers enrolled in the drug recognition program. The Plaintiffs knew exactly what they were getting involved in."
It is unclear if the protesters were informed before or after being given the drugs, that the second part of the experiment was to be taken to the facility for observation.
Flashback video:
Occupy uploaded by Susan Duclos