An appeals court has thrown out a ruling that ordered the release of documents related to NYPD surveillance of protesters at the 2004 Republican National Convention.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan found Wednesday that the district court overstepped its authority by trying to force the department to make the material public.

More than 1,800 people were arrested at the four-day convention at Madison Square Garden.

The New York Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit on behalf of some of those detained. It claimed the arrests violated the protesters' civil rights.