The Republican-controlled Florida legislature on Thursday passed tougher punishments against violent protesters, awarding a major legislative victory to Governor Ron DeSantis, who began campaigning for the measure last year after a summer of unrest across the country over the murder of black people by the police.
A divided Florida Senate passed a so-called anti-riot law like the trial of a former Minneapolis police officerDerek Chauvin, was en route for the death of George Floyd, a black man whose death under Chauvin’s knee sparked a wave of protests.
The measure was sent to the Republican Governor of Florida when new protests broke out in suburban Minneapolis this week. another fatal police who shot a black man
During weeks of debate, the ghosts of the civil rights movement – and the specter of racism – floated through the courtrooms, while opponents of the bill invoked the names of civil rights icons, including Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.
“May I tell you this bill isn’t about racism? Not quite, I don’t know,” said GOP Senator Ed Hooper, who joined the Republican majority by presenting the bill to the governor. “But I believe in my heart that we are ultimately a nation and a land of law and order.”
When lawmakers introduced the bill earlier this year, some supporters threw it in response to the January 6 uprising in the Capitol by supporters, mostly White, of former President Donald Trump.
But critics debunked that story, calling the legislation instead an attack on the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as an attempt to curtail the right to free speech and meet peacefully.
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In fact, the measure’s genesis dates back to a Sept. 21 press conference held by the governor, in which he was joined by Senate Speaker Wilton Simpson and House Speaker Chris Sprowls to condemn the tumult in cities across the country and what he called attacks. about law enforcement.
After the bill’s last passage, DeSantis said he was looking forward to signing the measure into law.
“This legislation strikes the right balance between ensuring the constitutional right of every Floridian to meet peacefully, while ensuring that those who hide behind peaceful protest to instigate violence in our communities will be punished,” the governor in a statement.
The measure drew intense passions over the months, as community activists from across the state gathered at the State Capitol to beg lawmakers to reject the effort.
“We know the governor wants this piece of legislation. We know that’s why it’s here. We don’t have to do everything the governor wants,” said Senator Gary Farmer, the Democratic leader of the chamber.
From the outset, the legislation seemed approved for passage by Republican leaders. What came before the Senate for final approval on Thursday was the same measure already passed by the House that paved the way for the measure to go to the governor’s office. It would become law immediately after it was signed.
If enacted by law, penalties would be increased for crimes committed during a riot or violent protest. It would allow authorities to detain arrested protesters until their first appearance in court. And it would institute new crimes for organizing or participating in a violent demonstration.
It would also strip local governments of civil liability protections if they interfere with law enforcement efforts to respond to a violent protest and add language to state law that could compel local governments to justify a cut in law enforcement budgets.
The proposal would also make it a second-degree crime to destroy or demolish a memorial, plaque, flag, painting, structure or other object that commemorates historical people or events. That would be punishable with a maximum of 10 years in prison.
“Rights have limits, and violence is where the line is drawn,” said Republican Senator Danny Burgess, who carried the bill in the Senate. “This bill is about preventing violence.”
But some community organizers saw it differently, saying it was designed to dispel dissent.
Christina Kittle, an organizer for the Jacksonville Community Action Committee, warned that the new law could escalate clashes between police and protesters.
“It has certainly been a blow to our morale,” she said. “I’m not sure it’s going to be a setback, but this was made to intimidate people and keep people from coming out.”
The American Civil Liberties Union said the new law would give police wide discretion over what constitutes a demonstration and a riot.
“The bill was purposely designed to encourage the disparate police treatment we have seen time and time again, targeting black and brown people exercising their constitutional right to protest,” said Micah Kubic, ACLU’s executive director. in Florida.
Senator Darryl Rouson, a former president of the St. Petersburg chapter of the NAACP who joined every Democrat and a lone Republican to vote the bill, said the new law won’t stop anyone from protesting a just cause.
“This won’t stop people from getting up,” Rouson said.
This doesn’t stop anything except those who are afraid. I’m not afraid, ”he said. “I just want to tell people, keep knocking, keep protesting, keep getting up despite an attempt to suppress votes.”