Fourteen protesters were arrested on Wednesday after staging a sit-in outside the office of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to protest new conservative laws in the state. The protest was organized by Dream Defenders, an activist group established after the 2012 killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Fla. The protesters had said they would occupy the office until DeSants agreed to a meeting but were arrested by police after occupying the office for hours.
Dream Defenders' co-founder Nailah Summers-Polite was among those who were taken into custody first. In response to their arrests, she stated that "We will not be silenced or intimidated; our voices must be heard."
The Hill has reached out to Florida law enforcement for more information on arrests and charges faced by these protestors.
A group of left-wing protesters staged a sit-in at Gov. DeSantis's office following his recent signing of various conservative legislation pieces affecting Floridians statewide. According to Dream Defenders, they are protesting against what they perceive as unjust governance rather than individual legislation and demanded a conversation with DeSantis himself.
Despite multiple warnings from authorities, approximately twelve other demonstrators refused to vacate the premises and ultimately faced arrest later that evening.
Before being escorted off Capitol grounds, one protester named Antonio Cordero remarked: “Our goal is simple – we want Gov. DeSantis to hear our concerns about his administration’s policies directly.”
Those arrested can expect trespassing charges as well as a possible one-year ban from visiting state capitol grounds again.
Gov. Ron DeSantis is considered a front-runner for obtaining Republican nomination for President if he decides to seek higher office in future elections - this fact may have further fueled such protests against his policy decisions within Florida State government during recent months.