DeSantis' University of Florida press conference met with chanting pro-Palestinian protesters

Pro-Palestinian protesters flocked to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Wednesday press conference at the University of Florida, which was meant to tout the state’s handling of demonstrations last week.

“I want to thank the university here as well as all of our state universities for ensuring that we're going to maintain order,” DeSantis said, comparing it to the destruction seen in other states, like Columbia University.

DeSantis also announced that he would OK a number of big-ticket items in the pending 2024-25 state budget, including millions for safety measures at public schools, Jewish Day Schools and the state's historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), including Florida A&M University.

But behind his words was the roar of pro-Palestinian chants.

Dozen were arrested at pro-Palestinian demonstrations across Florida university campuses last week, include nine at UF.

Surrounded by more than 30 Florida Highway Patrol troopers, DeSantis stood just steps away from where those UF arrests happened after protesters occupied a campus plaza — Plaza of the Americas — for multiple days.

Demonstrations across the state and country have involved calls for divestment from Israel, citing the deaths of more than 34,000 Palestinian people who have died in Gaza amid Israel's bombardment and ground assault.

That military campaign was triggered by Hamas' incursion into southern Israel on Oct. 7, when about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and more than 240 people were taken hostage.

The group of protesters at UF on Wednesday were separated from the governor by metal barriers and law enforcement. Dozens mingled in the center of the plaza before moving closer to the barricade about 30 minutes prior to the governor's remarks. The university's spring semester ended last week.

"UF: DIVEST FROM DEATH," one of the protesters' signs said. Multiple people held bundled, bloody representations of dead babies.

Among those arriving ahead of DeSantis was UF President Ben Sasse, who jumped a barricade on his route to the lectern.

As DeSantis began to speak, protesters’ chants grew louder, doing their best to drown out the governor who, despite being on microphone, was at times difficult to hear for those present.

Also taking the podium was Jagger Leach, a Jewish UF student, who talked about how the campus protests struck him with a "profound sense of pain."

"While walking to the library to study for an exam, nothing could have prepared me for the deafening shouts of protesters," he said. "Despite my efforts to focus on my studies, the noise persisted, making concentration impossible.

"After leaving the library, I noticed that the protesters were still there spewing their hateful rhetoric. Yet I was relieved to learn that university administration and (University of Florida Police) had taken swift action to ensure that their noise would not disrupt the academic environment."

As the governor introduced special guests at the press conference, including Sasse, Alachua County Sheriff Emery Gainey, state Rep. Chuck Clemons, R-Newberry, and state Sen. Keith Perry, R-Gainesville, protesters erupted in chants of “Free Palestine."

Other chants included “Hey hey, ho ho, the occupation has to go,” “Long live Palestine” and “Stop the U.S. war machine.”

As the governor and others left the area, protesters began to boo before breaking into a chant of “F--- DeSantis.”

Even as they chanted for divestment, State University System Chancellor Ray Rodrigues said there would be none.

"In Florida, we have had protests on our campuses," Rodrigues said. "First Amendment rights have been respected. But our state statutes and university policies have been enforced. Everywhere protesters attempted to establish an encampment, which is a violation of university policy, it was prevented."

Later Wednesday, the governor's office released more information about the budget line-item funding he said he will support, specifically mentioning "$569 million for K-12 school safety funding; $20 million to protect Jewish Day Schools; and $20 million to protect Florida’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)."

The governor "will approve this funding when he signs the Focus on Florida’s Future budget for 2024-2025," according to a news release. It's not yet clear when he will do so.

"Since 2019, Gov. DeSantis has invested a total of $1.4 billion for all K-12 student safety initiatives for public school and Jewish Day School campuses. This includes nearly $196 million for school hardening and over $43 million for security guards and security infrastructure at Jewish Day Schools," the release said.

Protests mentioned in board meeting hours later

Hours after the press conference, Florida Board of Governors Chair Brian Lamb and Rodrigues thanked presidents of the State University System’s institutions for making sure “disruptive behavior” was not a part of spring commencement ceremonies amid the national pro-Palestinian protests that have recently swept across college campuses.

“On campuses across our system, we saw the same types of protests that we’ve seen nationally, we’ve seen the same attempts to establish illegal encampments on our campuses, and all of our universities responded appropriately,” Rodrigues said at the start of a virtual board meeting Wednesday afternoon. “I’m very proud of our universities.”

The administrations of university presidents sent out letters to the campus community to warn them of consequences if any disruptions were to erupt during graduation ceremonies.

“It was especially important to us that commencement not be canceled or disrupted because the class of 2024 is the high school class of 2020,” Rodrigues said.

“These are the kids that didn’t get a high school graduation ceremony. They didn’t get to walk across the stage and receive their diploma. They didn’t get that, their families didn’t get that, and four years later, you have a national effort being orchestrated to deny them that opportunity when they have earned their college degree.”

Lamb told college and university presidents on the virtual call that they did " all the right things around free speech."

“I think that’s important and I’m pretty sure we all hold true to that, but equally as important is doing it the right way," he said.

Contributed: The Tallahassee Democrat's Tarah Jean and USA TODAY. This reporting content is partly supported by a partnership with Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. USA TODAY Network-Florida First Amendment reporter Douglas Soule can be reached at [email protected]. Gainesville Sun Local News Editor Alan Festo can be reached at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: DeSantis UF speech met with pro-Palestinian protest