Florida Officials Respond to Protests at U.S. Capitol

by Emily Zook on Jan. 11, 2021

The storming of the U.S Capitol shook the country at the start of the new year on Jan. 6, and now, local Florida officials are responding to the protest.

Tampa Bay Mayor, Jane Castor, voiced her opinion on the protest and felt like the riot was “an attack on our democratic process and institutions.”

University of South Florida President and Professor, Steven C. Currall, stated that what happened in Washington D.C. was “deeply troubling”. He assured students and other St. Petersburg locals that the university still works to promote and teach intellectual rigor to future generations.

“In the face of Wednesday’s thwarted efforts to derail the Constitutional process, USF’s mission — and our civic responsibility — is more important than ever,” said Currall. “The democratic process will prevail, and our unity as a nation will strengthen as we work to embrace our differences and promote honesty, trust, and the rule of law.”

Florida’s Gov. Ron DeSantis also commented on the violence that arose and the protestors that orchestrated it.

“Violence or rioting of any kind is unacceptable and the perpetrators must face the full weight of the law,” DeSantis tweeted. “The Capitol Police do an admirable job and I thank them for their hard work.”

In addition to Castor and DeSantis, Florida’s former Gov. Rick Scott tweeted about the incident. He took to Twitter multiple times to remind the people of America what the country stands for.

“Everyone has a right to peacefully protest. No one has a right to commit violence,” said Scott. “What happened today at the Capitol is disgraceful and un-American. It is not what our country stands for.”

Not only are local officials commenting on the violence that happened in Washington DC, they are taking initiative to put preparations in place for any possible threat to the Florida Capitol that may arise.

Pinellas County Sheriff, Bob Gualtieri, and other local law officials are prepared for any possible disruption that may arise from the protests in D.C.

According to The Orlando Sentinel, Gov. DeSantis addressed listeners at a news conference in The Villages last Tuesday and assured them that any unrest that may occur at the Capitol in Tallahassee will be handled accordingly.

“I don’t want to see that, but if anything is disorderly, we are going to act very quickly. Don’t worry about that,” DeSantis said.

According to Florida Senate President, Wilton Simpson, there are have been no current threats to Florida’s Capitol, but he believes there is a strong possibility that protestors will be present outside the Capitol this Sunday, Jan. 17th.

Due to this circumstance being likely, and out of caution, Simpson has requested that his staff work remotely on Sunday to limit any threat to their well-being.

Even officials who support Trump have urged supporters to avoid organizing any protests with the coming inauguration, according to The Orlando Sentinel.

“My request and advice to our great Trump volunteers and supporters stay home with your families,” said Randy Ross, Orange County’s 2016 Trump campaign chair. “Nothing good is going to come by charging on the steps of government buildings.”

Local Sheriff departments around Florida have begun organizing for emergency resources to be sent to Tallahassee if a situation in which back up is needed occurs.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, Osceola County Sheriff Marco López told them that they were prepared with resources if necessary.

“We went ahead and prepared 12 of our deputies as an emergency response unit to go and assist if they need us,” López said. “We’re on standby waiting on the word from them.”

Many states, in addition to Florida, are preparing for any possible unrest or threats that may come as the inauguration date creeps closer.