TALLAHASSEE, FLA. (WSVN) - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has mobilized 700 National Guard soldiers to help law enforcement agencies manage protests across the state.
“Florida has zero tolerance for violence, rioting and looting,” DeSantis said in a statement Monday afternoon. “George Floyd’s murder was appalling, and the Minnesota perpetrators need to be brought to justice, but this cannot be used as a pretext for violence in our Florida communities.”
Along with the mobilization of the National Guard soldiers, DeSantis said he also worked with Florida Highway Patrol to coordinate more than 1,300 sworn FHP troopers to assist local law enforcement.
Demonstrators gathered across Florida, as well as the nation, to protest the death of George Floyd, a Minnesota man who died after an officer was seen kneeling on his neck for several minutes during an arrest.
The officer, Derek Chauvin, was later arrested and charged with murder and manslaughter.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.