There was outrage on the Left when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed his anti-riot bill into law. Much like how people singled out campaign workers not being allowed to give water to people standing in line to vote in Georgia as a grievous sin, people abbreviated DeSantis’s legislation as allowing people to deliberately run over protesters with their cars.
Talking Points Memo’s take was that “protecting drivers who ram into demonstrators” was the GOP’s new anti-protest tactic. Axios reported that black lawmakers called the anti-riot law a “heartless” return to the Jim Crow era. But there’s a difference between protesting and rioting; in Florida, Sheriff Grady Judd even brought photos to show the difference between a peaceful demonstration and a riot as “some people are slow learners.”
DeSantis tweeted Sunday in support of the protesters in Cuba:
Florida supports the people of Cuba as they take to the streets against the tyrannical regime in Havana. The Cuban dictatorship has repressed the people of Cuba for decades & is now trying to silence those who have the courage to speak out against its disastrous policies#SOSCuba pic.twitter.com/H71EYoKdUZ
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) July 11, 2021
He wasn’t the only one, but Miami-Dade Democrats chair Steve Simeonidis argued that those protests in Cuba would have been illegal under DeSantis’s law.
.@GovRonDeSantis made this type of protest illegal in Florida.
He wants to silence dissent because he fears accountability. https://t.co/ieRDqWLKuJ
— Steve Simeonidis (@stevesimeonidis) July 12, 2021
— Greg 🇨🇺🇺🇸 😀 (@gsteink) July 12, 2021
This is MTG level stuff.
— Steve (@Steve56666007) July 12, 2021
When you delete this I don't want you to worry, the screen shots will live on
— MicDre (@dremicdre) July 12, 2021
Recommended
uh huh pic.twitter.com/aqWH1niODy
— SCBS146 (@scbs146) July 12, 2021
Fascinating strategy from a number of Florida Dems.
Instead of supporting protestors in Cuba, they’re trying to argue DeSantis’s anti-rioting law would’ve prevented similar protests.
It wouldn’t have, but a good window into why they’re losing the voters they’re losing. https://t.co/b3jCyHs7Z0
— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) July 12, 2021
Talkers are out on this and they’re.. not good.
Why stand with the people of Cuba marching for freedom when you can twist yourself into a pretzel for a weak dunk on DeSantis?
And comparing these protests to looting Apple Stores is ALSO quite the strategery. pic.twitter.com/JlzNSujGVz
— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) July 12, 2021
Peaceful protests are legal in Florida, actually! I would think someone who calls himself an attorney would have basic knowledge of the laws passed in this state.
— Jack M the Boca RINO Elite #SOSCuba (@JackMFromBoca) July 12, 2021
No he didn’t. pic.twitter.com/A4PoBczeJe
— Brother Seamus (@WaynePelota) July 12, 2021
Be specific. Give examples.
— Zombie John Gotti 🚌 🐗 (@ZombieJohnGotti) July 12, 2021
Do you lie for attention?
— Droidian White Lego (@Droidian1) July 12, 2021
— Raging Conservative (@RagCon) July 12, 2021
It's an anti RIOT bill, NOT an anti protest bill, DeSantis is a Costitutionist. Nice pandering your politics at the expense of people truly suffering a brutal regime though 😡
— LisaMarieB (@LisaMarieB9) July 12, 2021
!!!!! pic.twitter.com/vN6TXvCcMP
— G Christoph (@GChristoph1) July 12, 2021
How is it that you do not know the difference between protests and riots?
— Jodi C. 🇺🇸 (@Pepsigirl3726) July 12, 2021
Based on your interpretation of the law, you should demand a refund from University of Miami Law.
— Max Diesel (@MaxDieselRI) July 12, 2021
Do you just not care about lying?
— Dainon Jensen (@duckinfantry) July 12, 2021
Aren’t you embarrassed yet? Delete this nonsense…
— Juggers "Googly Eyes" (@Juggers4) July 12, 2021
You are horribly confused. Please stop tweeting lies and nonsense and learn what it actually says.
— Debora 🌺 (@mom2zwr) July 12, 2021
Fact check: anyone in Florida can PEACEFULLY protest. What he is against & what the law covered was rioting & burning people's property. Apparently according to Democrats & the media to which they are a DNC arm, protesting & rioting go hand in hand & aren't mutually exclusive.
— {BarkerMom} (@BarkerMom) July 12, 2021
This is a blatant lie but I know you don’t care. How about supporting the protesters and leave local politics out of it.
— Rick kyle (@rickkyle65) July 12, 2021
Why can’t you just support the Cuban protestors? This is not hard… just stand up for freedom.
— Wags (@40runner1) July 12, 2021
Fascinating argument.. bullshit, but fascinating.
I didnt see any video of the Cuban people looting shoe stores and such or doing anything violent, which is completely different than what we saw here in the last year.
Making this about a political agenda here is disingenuous.— Floplag (@floplag) July 12, 2021
Attempting to compare what is happening in #Cuba to the riots here in the states is not only disingenuous, but frankly very ignorant. Stop trying to ride coattails on the back of real oppression. #PatriaYVida
— D.K. 🇨🇺 (@DK_HaveANiceDay) July 12, 2021
What kind of stupid tweet is this?
— Veteran (@VETERAN486) July 12, 2021
Summing up:
– Cheap shot at Ron DeSantis = Check.
– Support for many of the same policies that made Cuba what it is today = Check.
– Douchebaggery level = x100!— Scott Ryan (@ScottRy09285660) July 12, 2021
You’re a tool. Well done.
— Chris Tsotsoros (@ctsotsoros) July 12, 2021
You’re a commie, Steve. Get bent.
— Jack TNT (@JackedTNT) July 12, 2021
You're a liar and this is stupidly inaccurate. Public protesting is perfectly fine under Florida law and the Constitution. Destroying public and private property, which is then RIOTING, is not. Don't be that guy.
— RightTC (@Right_TC) July 12, 2021
Amazing how you don’t even support the people of Cuba fighting to be able to post idiotic statements like you are able to. You made this about someone that scares you. What a douche
— Go Irish (@sjenk26) July 12, 2021
Hey, look, another Democrat:
I support the Cuban people as they take to the streets & let their voices be heard & do everything they can't do in Florida without it being labelled an "aggravated riot" under Ron Desantis's anti-protest law.
— Rep. Omari Hardy (@OmariJHardy) July 12, 2021
The first rule of being a Florida Democrat: lie with impunity and expect no fact checks from the media and especially not from CNN's Daniel Dale. https://t.co/bNePtLOOtp
— Caleb Howe (@CalebHowe) July 12, 2021
We lived through TDS; we’d better get used to DDS.
Related:
TPM: The GOP is hurrying to protect drivers who ram demonstrators because they know social justice movements are spreading https://t.co/MBwHl7lSHr
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) April 28, 2021