Page 27 - Melba Pearson News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

It's not as if there weren't laws already on the books. This one seems more intended to intimidate protesters than to address a real problem.

A red wave followed Floyd protests in Miami. But activists want to revive the movement Bianca Padró Ocasio, The Miami Herald Apr. 22—Hours after a Minnesota jury convicted police officer Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd, a group of Miami organizers and activists who advocate against police brutality and anti-Blackness gathered at their monthly general meeting, where they'd planned to discuss Florida's new "anti-riot" legislation. But once the verdict came down — a rare conviction of a police officer in the killing of an unarmed Black person — local organizers...

From the moment Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis proposed legislation to crack down on protests, lawyers and civil-liberties groups have cried foul, arguing that the proposed bill would chill free speech, discourage people from demonstrating, and inspire vigilantism against protesters. The governor signed the bill into law on Monday, and it went into effect immediately. The law enhances punishments for most crimes committed at protests, can penalize those who stand in a public street or highway during a demonstration, gives some civil immunity to drivers who run over protesters, and prevents people...

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the controversial HB 1 into law on April 19, 2021. The Combating Public Disorder Act cracks down on protesters and rioters.

The governor first pitched the idea for the bill last year, citing the protests for the Black Lives Matter movement that arose after Minneapolis resident George Floyd was killed at the hands of police last May. While most of the protests were peaceful, DeSantis and other Republicans focused their attention on a handful of rallies that became disorderly or violent. At yesterday's press conference, DeSantis said the new Florida law would be in effect by the time the jury reaches a verdict in the criminal case against Derek Chauvin, the officer accused of killing Floyd. DeSantis noted that no ...