🚨 DeSantis Says Drivers Can Lawfully Hit Protesters ‘If Threatened’

Tallahassee, FL — June 12, 2025 — Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, in a recent interview on The Rubin Report, stated that under Florida’s expanded “Stand Your Ground” and anti-riot laws, drivers may legally hit protesters who block their vehicles if they believe their life is in dang

“If you’re driving on one of those streets and a mob comes… surrounds your vehicle and threatens you, you have a right to flee for your safety. And so if you drive off and you hit one of these people, that’s their fault for impinging on you…” .

📜 Legal Context

Florida’s 2021 “Combating Violence, Disorder, and Looting” Act, signed by DeSantis, grants civil immunity to drivers who hit protesters obstructing a roadway . The legislation aimed to deter violent or disruptive protests but has sparked controversy by seemingly encouraging motorists to use vehicles as defensive tools.

🗣 Reactions & Criticism

Proponents argue the measure reinforces the right to self-defense, protecting individuals and property from hostile crowds.
Critics, including civil rights groups and legal experts, warn it could violate constitutional rights and lead to unjust harm toward peaceful demonstrators .
Some fear misuse of the law where subjective fears may justify reckless or violent behavior by drivers .

🏛 What’s Next

DeSantis’s public emphasis on the law renews a national debate over protest rights, self-defense, and the role of vehicles in confrontation. Legal challenges to the 2021 law remain ongoing, and future protests across the country—including Florida—may test its limits.