The Florida-controlled legislature on Thursday approved tougher penalties against violent protesters and handed the governor over to Governor Ron DeSantis.
A divided Senate in Florida has approved a so-called anti-riot bill the trial of a former Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, was on the run for the death of George Floyd, a black man whose death below Chauvin’s knee caused waves of protests.
The measure was sent to the Republican governor of Florida when new protests erupted this week in a suburb of Minneapolis another fatal police shooting of a black man.
During weeks of debate, the spirits of the civil rights movement – and the ghost of racism – hovered through trial chambers, while opponents of the bill called for the names of civil rights icons, including Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.
“Can I tell you that this bill is not about racism? Not at all, I can not know,” said GOP senator Ed Hooper, who joined the Republican majority in passing the bill to the governor. promote. “But I believe in my heart that at the end of the day we are a nation and a land of law and order.”
When lawmakers introduced the bill earlier this year, some supporters said it was in response to the January 6 Uprising at the U.S. Capitol by supporters, mostly white, of former President Donald Trump.
But critics have denied the story, calling the legislation an assault on the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as an attempt to restrict the right to freedom of speech and peaceful assembly.
CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP via Getty Images
Indeed, the origins of the measure stem from a September 21 press conference held by the governor, in which Senate President Wilton Simpson and House Speaker Chris Sprowls joined forces to end the riots in cities across the country. to condemn and what he called attacks. on law enforcement.
Following the final adoption of the bill, DeSantis said it was looking forward to signing the measure into law.
“This legislation strikes the right balance between protecting every Floridian’s constitutional right to assemble peacefully, while punishing those behind peaceful protests to cause violence in our communities,” the governor said in a statement. .
The measure drew intense passions over the months as community activists from across the state gathered in the state Capitol to urge lawmakers to reject the effort.
“We know the governor wants this legislation. We know it’s here. We do not have to do everything the governor wants,” said Senator Gary Farmer, the House’s Democratic leader.
From the outset, it appears that the legislation has been approved by Republican leaders. What came before the Senate of the State for final approval on Thursday was the same measure already approved by the House, which paved the way for the measure to the governor’s desk. It will become law immediately after signing.
When the law is signed, fines will be increased for crimes committed during a riot or violent protest. This will enable authorities to detain arrested protesters until the first court appearance. And it would create new crimes to organize or take part in a violent protest.
It would also deprive local authorities of civil liability protection if they interfere with law enforcement efforts to respond to a violent protest and add language to state law that could force local governments to justify a reduction 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 commemorating historical people or events. It would punish up to ten 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 muzzle discord.
Christina Kittle, an organizer of the Jacksonville Community Action Committee, warned that the new law could increase clashes between police and protesters.
“It was definitely a blow to our morale,” she said. “I’m not sure it’s going to be a setback, but it was created to intimidate people and stop people from coming out.”
The American Civil Liberties Union has said the new law will give police wide discretion over what a protest and riot is.
“The bill is deliberately designed to encourage the diverse police treatment we have seen time and time again to black and colored people exercising their constitutional right to protest,” said Micah Kubic, executive director of ACLU of Florida.
Senator Darryl Rouson, a former NAACP St. Petersburg capital president who joined every Democrat and a lone Republican to vote on the bill, said the new law would not deter anyone from protesting a fair cause.
“It will not stop people from getting up,” Rouson said.
“It will not stop anything except those who are scared. I am not scared,” he said. “I just want to tell people, keep knocking, keep protesting, keep rising despite an attempt to stifle voices.”