As L.A. burns, DeSantis team warns: 'Rioting will not be tolerated' in Florida
Protests broke out in the immigration services building near downtown Los Angeles over the past weekend, following multiple U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement warrants executed throughout the city.
These protests escalated around the greater Los Angeles area, with protesters throwing items at officers, setting off fireworks and blocking buses. Homeland Security said protesters assaulted officers, which prompted President Donald Trump to deploy 2,000 National Guard troops to the city.
Gov. Ron DeSantis' team played down any potential for "rioting" in Florida, referring to a screenshot of a Facebook post announcing a "rapid response" protest organized by Voices of Florida against ICE raids. The nonprofit's mission is focused on "defending human rights and reproductive freedoms," and its Facebook post about a Tampa City Hall protest on June 9 drew hundreds of shares.
"People are free to protest but rioting is illegal in Florida and will be dealt with accordingly," wrote Christina Pushaw, a senior aide to DeSantis, in an X post. That was in reference to a law (HB 1) championed by DeSantis in 2021 after racial justice protests nationwide happened after the death of George Floyd, a Black man killed by a Minneapolis police officer.
2021 anti-rioting: Tallahassee and 8 other cities file lawsuit challenging HB 1 'anti-riot' bill
Attorney General James Uthmeier, formerly DeSantis' chief of staff, affirmed Pushaw's response. He said rioting is "illegal in Florida and will not be tolerated."
These protests come in response to nationwide ICE raids as part of the president's agenda to deport immigrants without legal status from the country. This immigration crackdown has led to ICE raids all over the country, including in workplaces and schools, and most recently a high-profile raid at a Tallahassee construction site.
In late May, more than 100 people were detained in the Florida capital, which prompted a protest of more than 150 people near the state Capitol. Protestors held up signs, "Protect families not tear them apart" and "Abolish ICE."
The law created a new definition for "riot" and mandated that those arrested for unlawful assembly would be held without bail until their first court appearance.
For years, this law played out in federal court after being challenged by groups including the Florida NAACP and the Dream Defenders. The groups argued that the law violated the First Amendment and was ambiguous over defining whether peaceful protesters are threatened by this measure.
In 2023, a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction for the law, saying it was "vague and overbroad" and violated First Amendment rights of assembly.
In the middle of 2024, the Florida Supreme Court rejected arguments that the law was ambiguous, and it agreed that a peaceful protester is not a rioter. Months later, an appeals court overturned the injunction and agreed that peaceful protesters face criminal charges if their protests turn violent.
High court weighs in: Peaceful protesters OK under state's 'anti-riot' law, Florida Supreme Court rules
This reporting content is supported by a partnership with Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. USA Today Network-Florida First Amendment reporter Stephany Matat is based in Tallahassee, Fla. She can be reached at SMatat@gannett.com. On X: @stephanymatat.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida warns: 'Rioting is illegal' amid ICE protest backlash in L.A.
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