Things not happening in Florida: Road-blocking protests
“If you riot, if you loot, if you harm others, particularly if you harm a law enforcement officer during one of these violent assemblies, you’re going to jail.” — Governor DeSantis
While much of the country is battling astro-turfed anti-Israel protests, Florida is not dealing with road closures. Governor DeSantis passed what NPR called the nations “toughest protest legislation” back in 2021.
From NPR:
Florida’s governor has signed a law that he called the “strongest anti-rioting, pro-law enforcement measure in the country.” The law was written in response to protests around the country following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. It provides new protections for police and increases the penalties for people who take part in property damage or violence during protests.
Florida experienced little of the violence seen elsewhere in the country last summer following Floyd’s death. But Gov. Ron DeSantis said tougher laws were needed to make sure Florida doesn’t see the kind of protests that occurred in Minneapolis, Portland, Ore., and other cities. At the bill signing Monday, DeSantis said, “If you riot, if you loot, if you harm others, particularly if you harm a law enforcement officer during one of these violent assemblies, you’re going to jail.”
The law increases penalties for protesters who block roadways or deface public monuments. It creates a new crime, “mob intimidation.” And it requires that anyone arrested at a protest be denied bail until their first court appearance, likely making for overnight jail stays.
Law and order.
In Florida, we drag these people out of the road and arrest them. pic.twitter.com/XU6ZUUf9xX
— Bryan Griffin (@BryanDGriffin) April 15, 2024
In Florida its ok to protest. You can shout. You can scream. You can hold signs. You can voice your frustrations and opinions.
You cannot block traffic. You cannot assault people.
I mean, you can try… but: https://t.co/mLOoIlnKiU
— Charles Weber (@CWBOCA) April 15, 2024
This is today’s Florida protests. Compare with the blue cities and see what real Law and Order looks like.. https://t.co/7PKBI4ZaAz
— Geno (@geno101959) April 15, 2024
A handful of Hamas terrorists are protesting in downtown Miami.
NOTE: They aren’t blocking traffic because…. FAFO in Florida. pic.twitter.com/uBikgJsKpw
— BCinSoFL🇺🇸🇮🇱🏳️🌈 (@BCinKWFL) April 15, 2024
City of Miami officers appeared in riot gear, on horseback and on motorcycles to prevent the protesters from advancing. Police officers were…
— Christina Pushaw 🐊 🇺🇸 (@ChristinaPushaw) April 15, 2024
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Comments
Trump/DeSantis. I like it.
It’s as it should be
Of course, if it is French farmers blocking the highways with their tractors, causing all fire trucks, medical ambulances, and law enforcement officers not to be able to do their jobs, then that is OK. Right?
The press reports are that the farmers don’t block all lanes and do allow vehicles to pass.
Who cares what happens in France? Why do you pretend that you care?
And the French farmers are not doing that on behalf of murderous savages who are enemies of the country, to start with. They are fighting a government that is looking to starve its own people. Minor difference, there …
It would have been great to hear you argue for why Jane Fonda was being such a patriot as she entertained the North Vietnamese soldiers and shat all over America … She should have been hanged upon her return.
Where does Gonzo say that?
Can it, you idiot. Florida isn’t in France.
Shove your false equivalence.
If that is what they are doing then they’re wrong too. And people should be allowed to drive through them too. But I haven’t seen any reports that they are doing that.
Florida recently passed a law that says unauthorized blocking roads can be treated as an attempted hostage taking situation. If people are holding you hostage by blocking a road, you can do whatever you deem necessary to free yourself and if you have to run over someone trying to take you hostage, the duty to render first aid is waived.
JR’s usual ‘yo0 aRe teH hYP0ciTez!!1!” comment.
Might want to look up “tu quoque” there, cupcake.
“Tu quoque” for kindergarteners.
JR… on the wrong side as always… embracing the worst of humanity ever single time…, very revealing about who you are
Hey! But what about France?! 🤣🤣🤣
Some other jurisdictions ought to adopt such a law.
Or even all of them.
As I’ve said before, for laws to have any meaning what so ever the will to enforce them must exist first.
Florida appears to be somewhere that has the will to enforce law and order.
Exactly. Enforce the laws and enforce them vigorously. Especially the laws the populace may disagree with.
This all used to be “normal America” and everyone understood it. The unions in their strike parades had to keep moving and step off the sidewalk onto the street and then back onto the sidewalk, which is why they were always waling in ellipses in front of places, so they didn’t get arrested for loitering or blocking traffic.
But, now, criminal mayors and governors and police chiefs let people take over public spaces and then arrest anyone trying to get them out of the way.
All of the criminals trying to imprison people on roadways, using their bodies as blockers should be run over and should be arrested and charged with unlawful imprisonment – one charge for every person in every car affected. Put them away for life and forget about them. It’ll stop. ANd double that for the politicians and officials abusing government power to aid and abet these criminal acts.
“All of the criminals trying to imprison people on roadways, using their bodies as blockers should be run over and should be arrested and charged with unlawful imprisonment”
OK, but I drive a steamroller to work. You’re gonna need a spatula.
Looters, blockers, rioters,,, the “Blues” have got your back. Enjoy wilding!
I’m pretty sure that Florida passed a law allowing people to run over protesters in the road. Apparently when there are consequences these people have no guts.
That is why the people in the above video from Miami were lucky the police got to them before the drivers did!
“If you riot, if you loot, if you harm others, particularly if you harm a law enforcement officer during one of these violent assemblies, you’re going to jail.” — Governor DeSantis
“mob intimidation.”
I like it. Can it be used in a RICO case?
New car emergency kit: Smoke grenade, bear spray, bolt cutters, baseball bat.
You forgot semi-automatic pistol
That’s assumed.
The issue with a pistol is that the law of armed self defense does not allow you to use it in this situation. I speak as an every day carrier who has studied the law. As outrageous as road blocking protesters are, if you shoot one you will wind up in prison. Bear spray is the way to go.
It’s legislation like this and anti CRT teaching in schools that’s making Florida change from purple to red.
Saddest thought that came to me is why common sense needed to be legislated.
First amendment rights are for everyone but you cannot yell FIRE! in a crowded public room like a movie theater for fear panic might cause harm from the exiting attendees.
Common sense would say you can’t purposefully block flow on a highway designed for vehicular travel because of a danger presented from stopped traffic.
Safety vehicles like fire and rescue were prevented from their calls thus placing downstream situations are risk of harm and death.
But we saw how police we not allowed to remove protestors but in fact were committed to enforce the law should highway travelers confront and remove the protestors?
When sane States such as Florida which implement common sense statutes and then follow up with enforcement demonstrate the contrast to conditions in other States which have lost their way folks pay attention. I suspect that candidates in purple States would benefit from adopting policies such as this but it requires leadership willing to enforce these laws.
Leadership…a very rare commodity these days.
I live in Florida, and love that we have a strong governor who doesn’t put up with idiocy. People here respect law enforcement officers.
Underscores the undeniable reality that lawlessness is a choice, an outcome of design. Government can choose to establish orderly behavior or it can choose to allow lawless behavior to metastasize. While Florida chooses to maintain order California has chosen not to.
Last year I had a medical emergency. After I was treated and stabilized, the ER Dr. told me that had I been brought there 15-30 minutes later, I would not have survived. The EMT tending to me in the ambulance did a fantastic job, but it’s the speed of the ambulance driver that made the difference.
A traffic delay of just minutes, and I would not be here today. This road-blocking bullshit needs to stop, and it needs to stop now. The gloves need to come off, and severe consequences must follow.
A long time ago, I had an emergency and was brought to the emergency room by private car. If the streets had been blocked, I would have died from loss of blood.
Thank you Governor Desantis!
Thanks to the police who arrest and the prosecutors and judges who prosecute and incarcerate these rioters
“…the death of George Floyd at the hands of
Minneapolis policeGeorge Floyd and his narcotics suppliers”Can you find quotes from a better source than NPR?