Civil-rights attorneys are challenging a new set of state laws that establish a crime of “mob intimidation” and enhance penalties for riot-related violence and looting, arguing in a federal lawsuit that the measures unconstitutionally “seek to arrest the peaceful expression of free speech.”
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Bill Criminalizing Or Increasing Penalties for Certain Protest Activities Heads to Gov. DeSantis
The sweeping proposal, titled “Combating Public Disorder,” would create a new crime of “mob intimidation,” enhance penalties for riot-related looting and violence and create an affirmative defense for individuals who injure or kill violent protesters.
Bill Cracking Down on Protests Heads for Senate Floor Amid Outcries Over Free Speech and Discrimination
With critics warning that the bill would chill free speech and have a disparately negative impact on Black people, a key Senate committee Friday approved a controversial measure that Republicans argue is needed to crack down on violent protests.
Setting Privacy Rights Aside, Florida Senate Considers Allowing Police Drones Over Crowds of 50 or More
With some lawmakers expressing concerns about privacy rights, the Florida Senate could be poised to consider allowing law-enforcement agencies to use aerial drones to help with traffic management, collecting crime-scene evidence and eyeing large crowds.
Republicans in Florida and Elsewhere Respond to Black Lives Matter with Anti-Protest Bills
Republican legislators in Florida and 21 other states are considering tough new penalties for protesters who break laws. As in Florida, some of the bills also would prevent localities from cutting police budgets and give some legal protection to people who injure protesters.
DeSantis Election-Keyed Proposal to Criminalize Certain Acts at Protests Sparks Partisan Furor
The proposal comes as Republicans double down on efforts to deliver a second presidential victory to Trump in Florida, a battleground state with 29 prized electoral votes, on Nov. 3.
DeSantis Calls for Criminalizing Numerous Acts By Protesters While Protecting Those Who Hurt Them
DeSantis, a staunch supporter of Trump, calls for new felony crimes when property is damaged or when people are injured as a result of protests while drivers would not be liable for injuries or deaths “caused if fleeing for safety from a mob.”
Tear-Gassing Protesters During An Infectious Outbreak ‘A Recipe For Disaster’
There are strong calls for police to stop using these chemical irritants because they can damage the body in ways that can spread the coronavirus and increase the severity of Covid-19.
Throngs Impassion Flagler Beach March Against Racism as Teach-In Forms Around Bullhorn
Flagler Beach’s late afternoon march Wednesday to protest the murder of George Floyd at police’s hands drew upwards of 300 people and briefly turned into a teach-in at Veterans Park.
Flagler Sheriff Addresses Killing of George Floyd and Wednesday Protests in Palm Coast and Flagler Beach
“Policing should not be policing the community but instead it should be policing with the community, which is the model we use in Flagler County,” Sheriff Rick Staly said in the statement. Palm Coast Mayor Milissa Holland also issued a statement.