By: Eris Lowdermilk
Under Governor Ron DeSantis’s new proposed law, protesters who face arrest could face the most serious charges in comparison to other states. Though the new proposal has not definitively become a law, it is expected to cause many changes to the world of protesting.
The changes would cause those who organize a protest or even donates to protesters would be at risk. The possible protesters “may fear what they will be doing will be perceived as illegal,” Calvert said. “Rather than risk enhanced punishment, they won’t engage in activities that might otherwise be lawful.” said Clay Calvert, director of the Marion B. Brechner First Amendment Project at the University of Florida.
Local organizers feel that this is an extreme threat. This bill would prohibit protestors to utilize their First Amendment rights, along with if they are put in jail, could expose them to COVID and be in unsafe conditions.
Updates on the bill are to come.
Cordeiro, Monivette, Rice, Katie, Stennett, Desiree, & Toohey, Grace. (2020, September 23). Florida protests laws could be harshest in the nation under DeSantis proposal. Orlando Sentinel. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/florida/os-ne-desantis-protest-bill-opposition-20200923-ihsipkhwdncorouj4whycypss4-story.html
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