Florida fires back at activists decrying campus protest arrests: ‘Law-and-order state’

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida’s top public university official fired back at a swath of activist groups that recently wrote a letter to the state with concern over law enforcement cracking down on pro-Palestine demonstrators on campuses.

“Notwithstanding Florida’s appreciation for free expression, Florida is a law-and-order state,” said Ray Rodrigues, chancellor of the State University System of Florida, in a letter obtained by Florida’s Voice. “Florida’s institutions will not turn a blind eye on unlawful activities or behavior that violates university policy.”

Led by PEN America Florida, the initial letter to Florida’s higher education leaders cited “at least 35 arrests of student protestors across the state” occurring at the University of Florida, University of South Florida, University of North Florida, and Florida State University.

The letter was written by Katie Blankenship, the director of PEN America Florida, along with leaders from the Florida Youth Action Fund, the ACLU of Florida, the NAACP Florida State Conference and more.

“Police deployed tear gas against students at the University of South Florida and universities continue to threaten use of force,” the letter stated. “Bringing in local or state law enforcement in response to peaceful protest threatens student and community safety and has a chilling effect on expression.”

Rodrigues highlighted the importance of First Amendment protections and freedom of expression at the state’s universities, so long as exercise of those rights remains peaceful and doesn’t infringe on the rights of others.

On the activists’ citing of 35 arrests statewide, Rodrigues quipped “merely calling a protest ‘peaceful’ does not make it so.”

• He cited that at the University of Florida, the suspects arrested “refused to comply with rules after being given multiple days, warnings and opportunities to do so by UF Police.”
• Rodrigues cited that at University of South Florida, it appeared protestors were establishing tents “in violation of the school’s rules” and did not disperse at the 5 p.m. deadline when asked; “‘They were locked in a standoff with police.'”
  • “Alarmingly, at least one non-student protestors was found with a gun.”
• Regarding University of North Florida and Florida State University, the chancellor said “protesters were arrested for trespass after multiple warnings.”

“It follows that failure to follow the law, university regulation, or arming oneself is a far cry from peaceful protest,” he said.

Rodrigues continued to thank Gov. Ron DeSantis’ leadership throughout the wave of protests, who came out strong against unruly demonstrations early on and spoke at UF this week.

He additionally pushed back on the notion that there were multiple different ideologies protesting against each other, saying that issues all emerged from pro-Palestine demonstrators.

In closing, the chancellor noted hope that his insight “will prove useful to [the activists] as a resource going forward.”

The chancellor recently advised Florida’s universities to not cancel commencements over protests by activists, unlike schools such as Columbia University.

“You are going to behave appropriately, or if not, you’re going to be shown the door,” DeSantis said this week. “If we have a student who would take a janitor hostage, like they did at Columbia University, the only appropriate response is that that student getting expelled immediately.”