Aaron Miller-
Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a new bill into law that will prevent people who run down protesters from being held accountable and crack down on the definition of a protest.
The legislation, instituted by Florida’s DeSantis, will also grant extra protection to police in in an ‘anti-riot’ bill but appears to include a number of amendments that will crack down on the rights of protesters and increase penalties for civil unrest.
The Florida Senate bill which “ is aimed at combating public disorder” by requiring that municipalities allow law enforcement “to respond appropriately to protect persons and property during a riot or an unlawful assembly” and imposes civil liability for any damages incurred during the riot if a municipality breaches this duty.
The bill also increases criminal penalties for assaulting or battering an officer during something classified as a riot, providing that these offenses be classified more seriously than regular assault or battery. The bill adds a restriction on mob intimidation, stating the following:
It is unlawful for a person, assembled with two or more other persons and acting with a common intent, to use force or threaten to use imminent force, to compel or induce, or attempt to compel or induce, another person to do or refrain from doing any act or to assume, abandon, or maintain a particular viewpoint against his or her will.
DeSantis, a Republican, touted the law in a news conference Monday as “the strongest, anti-rioting, pro-law enforcement piece of legislation in the country.”
“We’re also putting an end to the bullying and intimidation tactics of the radical left by criminalizing doxing and requiring restitution for damaging memorials and monuments by rioters,” he added.
The provision, enacted in response to videos of protestors who were harassing outdoor restaurant customers, would allow groups of three or more people who “threaten to use imminent force” to persuade others to change their viewpoint to be charged with a first-degree misdemeanor.
Violent protests against racial injustice triggered by George Floyd’s death last summer, and other protests since then, have been a concern for the authourities, even with the strong reasons for them.
Democratic lawmakers in Florida made clear earlier Monday that they view the state’s new law as a step in the wrong direction.
The Florida law will allow an appeal if a municipality reduces its police budget.
There is also a provision to create an affirmative defense for a defendant in a civil action who claims they were defending themselves or their property against a rioter.