Ban on protests in entrance of properties signed by Gov. DeSantis

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Anyone who protests in front of a non-public residence in Florida can face jail time and fines underneath a invoice Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Monday.

The legislation makes it a second-degree misdemeanor to protest in a manner that's geared toward deliberately harassing or disturbing somebody in their dwelling. Violators face 60 days in jail and fines of as much as $500.

Protesters can solely be arrested after ignoring regulation enforcement’s orders to disperse, nevertheless.

The governor said the new law will prevent protests in Florida like those waged by abortion rights protesters in entrance of U.S. Supreme Court justices’ properties in Virginia.

“Sending unruly mobs to private residences, like we now have seen with the angry crowds in front of the houses of Supreme Court docket justices, is inappropriate,” DeSantis mentioned in an e mail to news businesses. “This bill will provide safety to those dwelling in residential communities and I am glad to sign it into law.”

Some Democrats opposed the bill, arguing it infringes on folks’s First Amendment rights to free speech.

The regulation is scheduled to take impact Oct. 1.