Ron DeSantis' Office Stormed by Protesters, Video Shows

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Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property insurance market, local and national politics. She has previously extensively covered U.S. and European politics. Giulia joined Newsweek in 2022 from CGTN Europe and had previously worked at the European Central Bank. She is a graduate in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and holds a Bachelor's degree in Politics and International Relations from Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Italy. She speaks English, Italian, and a little French and Spanish. You can get in touch with Giulia by emailing: g.carbonaro@newsweek.com.

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Dozens of protesters occupied Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' Tallahassee office on Wednesday afternoon to protest against new conservative laws passed by the Republican official, video from the sit-in shows.

A clip shared on social media by progressive activist Nelini Stamp shows protesters sitting in the Republican governor's office in a peaceful manner while chanting and swaying. Security officers observing the scene can be seen walking away from the demonstrators.

"@Dreamdefenders and allies in Florida are occupying Ron DeSantis office right now," Stamp wrote in the caption accompanying the video published on Wednesday evening.

Dream Defenders is a Florida-based grassroots organization founded in 2012 after the killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford that aims to organize "Black and Brown youth to build power in our communities to advance a new vision we have for the state."

Ron DeSantis
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis gives a speech during the Jerusalem Post conference at the Museum of Tolerance on April 27, 2023 in Jerusalem, Israel. Protesters occupied DeSantis' office on Wednesday to have a meeting with... Amir Levy/Getty Images

According to the group, some 14 protesters from Dream Defenders and other organizations were arrested by police after occupying DeSantis' office for hours. In a statement released on Wednesday, the group said they meant to occupy the governor's office until DeSantis agreed to meet with them.

"DeSantis decided to arrest protesters instead of meeting with them," Dream Defenders wrote on Wednesday after announcing the arrests.

"DeSantis likes to meet with his donors, the people who voted with him, his little pals, but he seems not to want to face the people who don't actually like him," a protester told the Tallahassee Democrat. "If he won't face us, he shouldn't be the governor."

"Dream Defenders, Florida Immigrant Coalition, Florida Rising and other activists from across the state are about to get arrested in The Florida Capital fighting for Floridians," wrote Florida Democratic state Rep. Angie Nixon on Twitter, sharing a clip.

DeSantis is expected to sign into law in the coming days a series of bills passed by Florida lawmakers on Wednesday which critics say will reduce diversity and inclusion in the state's schools, restricting teachers from discussing topics related to gender, race, and ethnicity.

The expansion of what critics have dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" bill, passed with a 27-12 party-line vote by the GOP-controlled Florida Senate, will prevent teachers from using a student's preferred pronouns and raise the ban on discussing gender and sex in the classroom from the third grade to the eighth grade. Proponents of the bill argue that it aims to protect children and allows parents to be in control of discussions of such issues.

Another bill passed by Florida lawmakers on Wednesday would forbid the state's public universities and colleges from using their funds to "promote, support, or maintain any programs or campus activities that espouse diversity, equity, or inclusion [DEI] or Critical Race Theory rhetoric." A governor-appointed board, created under the new legislation, will also have the power to hire and fire university and college staff.

Newsweek has reached out to Florida law enforcement for comment by phone.

Update 5/04/2023 5:30 a.m. ET: This article has been updated to offer more context on a breaking news story.

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About the writer

Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property insurance market, local and national politics. She has previously extensively covered U.S. and European politics. Giulia joined Newsweek in 2022 from CGTN Europe and had previously worked at the European Central Bank. She is a graduate in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and holds a Bachelor's degree in Politics and International Relations from Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Italy. She speaks English, Italian, and a little French and Spanish. You can get in touch with Giulia by emailing: g.carbonaro@newsweek.com.

Writers Page

Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property ... Read more