Florida has become an outlier from the rising crime gripping other states.
Rowdy protesters will not get the same slap on the wrist they can expect in a blue state.
And a PETA activist found out Florida is a law-and-order state after this protest got out of hand.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has made it his mission to make sure that law and order reign supreme.
While most of the country was being rocked with violent protests in the summer of 2020 after George Floyd’s death, Florida escaped the destruction of Black Lives Matter protestors.
Animal activists learned the hard way that their antics do not fly in DeSantis’ Florida.
PETA protest at Starbucks gets out of control
Activists with the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) targeted a Starbucks location in Winter Garden, Florida, for a protest because the company is adding an upcharge to vegan alternatives to dairy milk like soy.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office sent officers to deal with the 15 PETA protestors after they became disruptive.
“Starbucks management asked that the protesters be trespassed after they refused to leave the store, which is private property, and they wanted to press charges,” the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said. “Deputies gave loud verbal announcements, asking the protesters to leave, and most of them cleared out immediately.”
Several of the PETA protestors refused to back down in their protest over an upcharge for non-dairy alternatives.
PETA protestor attacks police officer
An Orange County Sheriff’s Deputy was struck by a teenage protestor who was there with his parents.
Deputies were escorting him out of the Starbucks when he struck one of them in the head.
The teenager was arrested on charges of battery and trespassing.
Starbucks told Fox Business that it supports mostly peaceful protests in a statement.
“We respect our customers’ rights to respectfully voice their opinions so long as it does not disrupt our store operations,” Starbucks said.
PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman said the group was “appalled” that someone who committed felony battery against law enforcement could be arrested.
“This child was peacefully speaking up for cows who suffer for dairy when he was grabbed from behind, shoved face down onto a table, and roughly handcuffed,” Reiman told Fox Business. “PETA is appalled at the way he was treated when he and his pregnant mother were complying with orders to leave the premises, and Starbucks must realize that it’s losing compassionate young customers like him with its absurd upcharge for vegan milks.”
Shannon Blair, the teenager’s mother, was also arrested for trespassing and taken to the Orange County Jail.
“Watching as my son was torn away from me, restrained, and hauled away gave me a glimpse into the horrors of the dairy industry, which takes calves from their crying mothers so that it can sell off their milk. My family was simply asking Starbucks to stop penalizing customers for choosing a kinder option. There was no reason for violence,” Blair said.
Woke PETA protestors discovered that attacking law enforcement in Florida is not going to fly.
DeSantis Daily will keep you up-to-date on any developments to this ongoing story.
