Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).
More than 30 Republican-controlled state legislatures have recently enacted legislation to tighten restraints on violent demonstrations and strengthen penalties for vandalism and looting during protests. Among them, Florida’s relevant bills are particularly attention. Some analysts believe that this is a sign that the Republican Party has set its course and is expected to focus on law and order in preparation for next year’s congressional midterm elections.
According to the New York Times, 34 Republican-controlled state legislatures have recently enacted new bills aimed at strengthening the prevention and punishment of vandalism and other violence during protests and demonstrations.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the bill into law this week, the newspaper said. He described the bill as the strongest in the country in terms of stopping looting and supporting law enforcement.
The newspaper said that the new Florida bill covers a wide range of provisions. For example: disrupting public order will be changed from a misdemeanor to a felony; the state will create new charges for violent activities in the name of protesting and demonstrating, and will prohibit defendants from going out on bail until they appear in court; those who tear down statues of Confederate figures or damage landmarks can be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison; citizens who are threatened by protesters while driving in their cars will not have to face civil consequences for hitting and injuring those who surround them to protect themselves. The bill also stipulates that local governments will not have to face civil consequences if they are threatened by protesters while driving. The bill also provides that if a local government cuts the police budget, the local prosecutor or county or city manager can appeal to the state to overturn the local government’s decision.
Speaking to the media about the bill, Florida House Speaker Chris Sprowls (R-FL) said that the Florida government would not sit back and watch policing deteriorate, as it did in Seattle or Portland, Oregon, where the GOP was in power.
In addition, Indiana’s bill, which is still under consideration, proposes that anyone convicted of participating in an unlawful assembly or being violent at a protest would not be able to run for office or be employed by the state in the future; similar provisions in Minnesota’s bill would prevent violent protesters from applying for student loans, unemployment assistance or housing benefits.
In May 2020, Floyd, an African-American man who was arrested by police for using counterfeit money to make purchases after using drugs, died accidentally when the police officer pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck while trying to subdue him. For several months after that, large-scale demonstrations and riots took place in many cities across the United States, and in the name of protest and demonstration, many thugs vandalized and burned stores along the streets, and some stores selling luxury goods or gold and silver jewelry suffered particularly heavy losses. The riots aroused the indignation of the general public, who demanded the local government to strengthen law enforcement, restore normal social order, and safeguard the safety of the public’s personal and property.
When the various Republican-led state legislatures introduced new bills aimed at strengthening the prevention or punishment of violent demonstrations, many people left messages on social media expressing their support for these new bills. However, there are also critics who oppose the bills, claiming that they allegedly violate people’s rights to assembly and political expression.
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