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16h ago

DeSantis’s Drivers-Can-Hit-Protesters Remarks Raise Legal Alarm as No Kings Protests Unfold

Experts warn that Florida’s anti-riot law protects drivers only from civil liability, not criminal charges.

Cuban exiles blocked the Palmetto Expressway north and southbound at Coral Way in support of protesters in Cuba as thousands of Cubans took to the streets in the island to complain about a lack of freedom and a worsening economic situation, in 2021. (Pedro Portal//Miami Herald/TNS)
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaking during a press conference held at the ICE-Enforcement and Removal Operation office on May 01, 2025 in Miramar, Florida.
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Overview

  • Today’s No Kings demonstrations are taking place in over 1,500 U.S. cities protesting perceived authoritarianism and immigration policies alongside President Trump’s military parade and birthday celebration in Washington.
  • On The Rubin Report, Governor DeSantis asserted that drivers blocked by protesters have the right to defend themselves by driving off, triggering widespread criticism.
  • Legal analysts stress that HB1, passed in 2021, offers an affirmative defense in civil lawsuits for injuries during riots but does not confer criminal immunity for harming demonstrators.
  • Civil rights organizations warn that the law’s vague definitions may chill free expression and disproportionately impact marginalized communities exercising their First Amendment rights.
  • Authorities have deployed National Guard troops in California and Texas, and lawmakers such as Rep. Frederica Wilson are urging protesters to stay on sidewalks and use de-escalation tactics to avoid citations or confrontations.