Florida sheriff tells protesters ahead of anti-Trump rally: ‘We will kill you'
Sheriff Wayne Ivey, a Republican, echoed President Trump's recent Truth Social post in which he said of Los Angeles protesters, 'If they spit, we will hit.'
A Florida sheriff shockingly vowed to 'kill' protesters who threaten or commit violence against law enforcement officers ahead of a scheduled rally in opposition to President Donald Trump and his administration on Saturday.
'We're not going to play,' said Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey during a Thursday news conference just days before the nationwide 'No Kings' protests happening Saturday.
On the heels of President Trump sending the U.S. military to Los Angeles, where similar protests have taken place in opposition to his immigration raids and deportations, Ivey issued a stark warning to protesters, who are expected in the thousands across the state of Florida.
'If you resist lawful orders, you're going to jail…If you block an intersection or a roadway in Brevard County, you are going to jail. If you flee arrest, you're going to go to jail tired because we're going to run you down and put you in jail,' said Ivey, who has served as the county sheriff since 2013. He continued, 'If you try to mob rule a car in Brevard County, gathering around it, refusing to let the driver leave, in our county, you're most likely going to get run over and dragged across the street.'
Ivey's rhetoric escalated as he continued to list off hypothetical scenarios that could take place on Saturday.
'If you spit on us, you're going to the hospital and in jail. If you hit one of us, you're going to the hospital and jail. And most likely get bitten by one of our big beautiful dogs that we have here,' he added. 'If you throw a brick, a firebomb or point of gun at one of our deputies, notifying your family were to collect your remains at. Because we will kill you, graveyard dead. We're not going to play.'
Sheriff Ivey, a Republican and Trump supporter, echoed the president's recent Truth Social post in which he said of Los Angeles protesters, 'If they spit, we will hit.' Trump has notably endorsed police 'immunity' and ordered his administration to end federal probes into police misconduct.
'This kind of language is not only reckless — it's dangerous. When law enforcement officials, especially those in positions of power, use phrases like 'kill you graveyard dead,' they're not promoting safety — they're inciting fear and violence,' Florida State Senator Shevrin Jones told theGrio in reaction to Sheriff Ivey's remarks.
'Let's be clear: the right to protest is foundational to our democracy. Threatening protestors with death because they challenge injustice is exactly the type of authoritarianism our Constitution protects us from,' Jones added. 'Florida deserves leaders who de-escalate tensions, not inflame them. We need accountability, not aggression.'
Nearly 2,000 'No King' rallies are expected around the country, where demonstrators will take to the streets to denounce President Trump's policies and his decision to hold a first-of-its-kind military parade in Washington, D.C.
'On June 14—Flag Day—President Trump wants tanks in the street and a made-for-TV display of dominance for his birthday. A spectacle meant to look like strength,' says the 'No King' rally's official website. It explained, 'No Kings is a nationwide day of defiance. From city blocks to small towns, from courthouse steps to community parks, we're taking action to reject authoritarianism—and show the world what democracy really looks like.'
It adds, 'The flag doesn't belong to President Trump. It belongs to us…we're showing up everywhere he isn't—to say no thrones, no crowns, no kings.'
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