The Washington Current

Share this post

DeSantis Jumps On Anti-Protest Bandwagon

washingtoncurrent.substack.com

DeSantis Jumps On Anti-Protest Bandwagon

Signs bill criminalizing peaceful demonstrations

Janet Nance
May 16, 2022
Share

In what is certainly a signal towards his interest in a bid for the 2024 Republican nomination for president, Florida Gov Ron DeSantis (R) has signed a bill criminalizing even peaceful demonstrations outside personal residences in the state.

The new state law comes after recent —non-violent — demonstrations outside of the homes of US Supreme Court justices around Washington DC, and at the homes of members of Congress, including Sen Susan Collins (R-Maine).

Twitter avatar for @RonFilipkowski
Ron Filipkowski 🇺🇦 @RonFilipkowski
In response to protests outside the homes of SCOTUS Justices, Ron Desantis announces a bill to make it a crime to protest in front of a residence.
Image
8:55 PM ∙ May 16, 2022
378Likes153Retweets

DeSantis Monday signed HB 1571, which prohibits picketing and protesting outside of a person's residence.

Once in effect, the new law will allow police to arrest those picketing or protesting outside of a residence, if protesters don't disperse upon a warning. Violations will be punishable as a second-degree misdemeanor.

DeSantis, in a statement, claims that the law is needed due to “unruly mobs” protesting Supreme Court justices following the recent leak of a draft court decision to overturn Roe v Wade after nearly a half-century of guaranteed national access to abortion services.

Abortion rights supporters' protests, however, have been generally peaceful.

Sen Collins — who, despite claiming to be pro-choice, voted to confirm several of the justices who have signed on to the draft decision — called 911 after claiming that the sidewalk outside of her home had been “defaced.”

Twitter avatar for @JuddLegum
Judd Legum @JuddLegum
Susan Collins called 911 because someone wrote a message in chalk supporting abortion rights on the sidewalk buzzfeednews.com/article/juliar…
Image
9:13 PM ∙ May 10, 2022
1,735Likes452Retweets

Police responded to the scene, but found that the “message wasn’t threatening” and therefore “no crime was committed,” Bangor, Maine, Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Wade Betters said in a statement.

The sidewalk message read, simply, “Susie, please, Mainers want WHPA —> vote yes, clean up your mess.”

WHPA is the federal Women’s Health Protection Act. It would guarantee the right to an abortion until the point of fetal viability in federal law. Collins has voted against the bill in the past, most recently when it came up to a vote last Wednesday.

DeSantis is seen as hoping to secure the 2024 Republican Party nod for president, if he can be reelected governor of the Sunshine State this November.


Do you find this post of value?

Please consider supporting our work by joining our Patreon for as little as $5…

Join Our Patreon

Also, please subscribe…

Share
Comments
Top
New
Community

No posts

Ready for more?

© 2023 Janet Ybarra-Nance
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start WritingGet the app
Substack is the home for great writing