Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says drivers in Florida will not be held liable if they hit protesters blocking roadways while acting out of fear for their safety. Speaking on the podcast “The Rubin Report,” DeSantis said drivers have the right to protect themselves if they feel threatened.
“We also have a policy that, if you’re driving on one of those streets and a mob comes and surrounds your vehicle and threatens you, you have the right to flee for your safety,” DeSantis told host Dave Rubin. “If you drive off and you hit one of these people, that’s their fault for impinging on you. You don’t have to sit there and just be a sitting duck and let the mob grab you out of your car and drag you through the streets. You have a right to defend yourself in Florida.”
The governor’s office, when asked for comment, responded to Straight Arrow News and referred to legislation DeSantis signed in 2021 — the “Combatting Public Disorder Act.” The law increased penalties for violent protests, criminalized mob intimidation, and granted civil legal immunity to drivers who injure or kill someone while fleeing protesters obstructing a roadway.
The law drew swift legal challenges. The NAACP and Dream Defenders argued it infringed on First Amendment rights. In September 2021, a judge blocked enforcement of key provisions. However, the Florida Supreme Court ruled in 2024 that the law did not threaten the rights of legal protesters.
The issue gained national attention after the 2017 protests in Charlottesville, Virginia, where a court found a driver’s use of force was not self-defense. James Alex Fields Jr. was convicted of murder for killing protester Heather Heyer by driving into a crowd.
Nationwide protests continue
DeSantis’ remarks come amid growing unrest in more than two dozen U.S. cities following Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in Los Angeles on Friday, June 6.
In response, President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles and sent Marines to protect federal buildings.
“He has not only the right to do what he’s doing, he has a duty to do what he’s doing,” DeSantis told Rubin about Trump’s actions in LA. “I also say yes, primarily it’s a local responsibility to maintain order. When the locals break down, then the state can step in, which is how I would handle it in Florida … In this case, the governor hasn’t done what he needed to do.”
Hundreds of mass protests are planned for Saturday, June 14, the same day as Trump’s scheduled military parade. The group organizing the “No Kings” movement calls it a “national day of defiance.”
Florida ranks high for pedestrian deaths
Florida is home to some of the most dangerous roads for pedestrians in the nation, according to a recent Vox report. Researchers analyzed pedestrian death data and found that 7 of the top 60 deadliest zones are in Pasco County alone.
U.S. Highway 19 — which runs parallel to the Gulf Coast — was named the deadliest highway for pedestrians in the state. Between 2017 and 2022, there were 34 pedestrian deaths for every 100 miles on the route.
Interstate 95, which runs through eastern Florida, ranked second.
