While the protesters chanted, one of DeSantis’s staff members munched on chocolate cake.
There were several demonstrators on Wednesday outside of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ office at the state Capitol. The Republican-controlled legislature had just made sweeping changes to the educational system that the opposition Democratic Party condemned as racist and anti-trans.
At least a dozen protestors were detained as they camped out in front of DeSantis’ office. Although DeSantis wasn’t present, bewildered staff members could be seen working behind a partition in the Capitol. When police told the protesters they had to leave the area within 20 minutes, dozens of them locked arms, sat down on the carpet, and refused to get up.
The warning was issued by the police at around 7 o’clock, and the arrests began at approximately 7:30 o’clock.
According to the Miami Herald, individuals who were seized will be prosecuted for trespassing and barred from entering Capitol grounds for a year.
The first law would prohibit schools from requiring students and staff to use names that do not accurately reflect a person’s biological sex. The second bill would outlaw diversity initiatives across the state.
The measures easily passed both the Florida House and Senate, and they are currently sitting on the governor’s desk.
A number of measures currently before the Senate would prohibit the discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools before the eighth grade. DeSantis has advocated for a blanket ban on these topics in classrooms.
Furthermore, it opens the door for scrutiny of textbooks that some believe harm students. Proponents argue that the goal is protecting youngsters from exposure to inappropriate content.
When DeSantis pushed back against what he and other conservatives see as “woke” education goals and refused to comply with COVID, he gained national attention.
In the following several weeks, the governor is widely expected to announce his candidacy for president in 2024.