Ron DeSantis Declares Protesters Are at 'Fault' If They Get Hit by a Car While Demonstrating in the Street
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis reminded residents of a state law created in the wake of the George Floyd protests that permits drivers to legally strike protesters with their vehicles if the protesters are at "fault."
During Wednesday's episode of "The Rubin Report," host Dave Rubin, a conservative political commentator, asked the Republican governor about his policy on protesters occupying streets without a permit and whether they would face arrest.
The MAGA-aligned governor asserted that protesters have "no right to commandeer the streets," a practice he said was wrong and harmful, claiming it "has huge impacts on people's quality of life."
"We also have a policy that if you're driving on one of those streets and a mob comes and surrounds your vehicle and threatens you, you have a right to flee for your safety," DeSantis continued. "So, if you drive off and you hit one of these people, that's their fault for impinging on you."
"You don't have to sit there and just be a sitting duck and let the mob grab you out of your car and drag you through the streets," DeSantis added. "You have a right to defend yourself in Florida."
Florida's "anti-riot bill" was signed into law in April 2021. It was drafted after the Black Lives Matter protests and passed ahead of former police officer Derek Chauvin's trial. At the time, Florida lawmaker Shevrin Jones called the bill "racist at its core," adding that DeSantis "made no mention of the Jan. 6 insurrection."
Rubin said he was "very glad" to hear about Florida's policy after relaying an incident on Tuesday in which a car drove through an anti-ICE protest in Chicago, injuring a 66-year-old woman. DeSantis added that, while "Hamas demonstration" were "in vogue," Miami police had protesters off the street in 13 minutes.
"There is zero tolerance," DeSantis reiterated. TopResume
Originally published on Latin Times
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