Background: Orlando police officers look on as demonstrators protest against the policies of President Donald Trump and Elon Musk during a “May Day Stong: Immigrants Have Rights!” rally, Saturday, May 3, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. (Phelan M. Ebenhack via AP). Inset: Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a press conference about a recent immigration enforcement operation, at the South Florida office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Enforcement and Removal Operations, Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Miramar, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell).
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told drivers in his state that they would not be held responsible if they hit demonstrators during protests so long as it’s because they fear for their lives.
“If you are driving on one of those streets and a mob comes and surrounds your vehicle and threatens you, you have a right to flee for your safety,” DeSantis said on an episode of “The Rubin Report” podcast that was released Wednesday night. “And so if you drive off and you hit one of these people, that’s their fault for impinging on you.”
“You have a right to defend yourself in Florida,” the governor added.
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Protests referred to as “No Kings” are planned across the United States on Saturday, including several in Florida, where one sheriff declared protesters would be killed “graveyard dead” if they get violent or threaten law enforcement.
The most significant protests, which are mostly in opposition to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests, have taken place in Los Angeles, California. The demonstrations, which have at times become violent, prompted President Donald Trump to call in the National Guard last week, an action to which California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, both Democrats, have expressed their fierce opposition.
The protests in the southern California city have caused road closures and traffic jams, which can constitute safety concerns. However, there have been numerous examples in recent years, including at the recent protests, of people using their vehicles to ram into crowds, causing injuries and even deaths.
DeSantis, like other Republican leaders, has been strongly opposed to heated protests, including those in 2020 following the death of George Floyd. His recent comments suggest his stance has not changed.
“You have no right to commandeer streets,” the governor, who unsuccessfully ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, said. “First of all, it’s just wrong; second of all, that has huge impacts on people’s quality of life.”
“We have an absolutely zero tolerance policy for that,” he added.
DeSantis is term limited and will leave office in early 2027. His wife, Florida first lady Casey DeSantis, has reportedly for months been considering a gubernatorial run, though no decision has been announced.
