The governor said Florida will not tolerate anti-Cuban government protests that have blocked roads

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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Thursday that Florida will not tolerate the anti-Cuban government protests that have closed major roads in the Sunshine State.

The state’s recently passed “Riot Act” — formally known as House Bill 1 — punishes protesters who “willfully obstruct the free, comfortable and normal use of a public street, highway, or road” by “obstructing, obstructing, stifling, delaying, or Traffic Restriction.

He went on to say that pedestrians “endanger the safe movement of vehicles” should be cited and face punishment.

Read the bill:

The focus on the law began Tuesday when dozens of Cuban anti-government protesters swarmed Interstate 95, blocking it near Okeechobee Street in West Palm Beach for about an hour.

Major roads in Miami-Dade County, including the Palmetto Highway, were also closed for hours earlier this week during emotional Cuban rallies.

FDOT

Protesters block Interstate 95 near the Okeechobee Street exit on July 13, 2021 in West Palm Beach.

Speaking in Miami on Thursday, DeSantis said that while he encourages and supports peaceful demonstrations, they cannot cross the line and put lives at risk.

“We can’t have that,” DeSantis said. “It’s dangerous for you to block a road. You’re also putting other people at risk. You don’t know if any emergency vehicles need to get somewhere.” “It’s not something we will tolerate.”

Watch news conference:

Governor DeSantis talks about riot bill

It is not clear if anyone was cited for Tuesday’s demonstrations in West Palm Beach or Miami.

However, the Florida Highway Patrol said that people blocking traffic are not only breaking the law, but also putting law enforcement officers and other members of the public at risk.

In general, marches in South Florida since Sunday have been peaceful and there have been no reports of looting or violence against police.

“Most places around Florida, as soon as I tell these people, they get off. But we have to keep the roads clear,” DeSantis said. “Law enforcement did the right thing to make that clear. And that’s something we can’t have.”

Cubans took to the streets in both the island nation and southern Florida in protest of the country’s communist government, with many local Cuban Americans calling for US intervention.

During a roundtable discussion in Miami on Tuesday, DeSantis said this week’s demonstrations are “fundamentally different” from the 2020 protests in support of police reform after the killing of George Floyd.

“People [last summer] They were burning buildings, looting windows, and targeting law enforcement, DeSantis said. I think people understand the difference between going out and peacefully gathering, which is a clear constitutional right of people, and attacking others.

When DeSantis signed the “anti-public disorder” bill into law in April, he said the state would not allow “the masses to win the day.”

The social justice group sued DeSantis two days later, saying the law risks criminalizing peaceful protests and protects people who injure or kill protesters.

“There is nothing wrong with peaceful demonstrations,” DeSantis said Thursday. “We support them and their ability to do that. But it can’t be where they shut down trade or shut off the ability to use these arteries.”

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