The images of the verbal altercation between Governor Ron DeSantis and an opponent in the middle of a campaign event in South Carolina add more than $1.6 million views on social networks after videos of it became popular on Twitter and YouTube, media reports like Newsweek this Saturday.
DeSantis delivered a speech Friday in Lexington. That was the second stop in the state as part of the efforts to seek the Republican nomination for president. The applicant’s agenda included visits to other demarcations such as New Hampshire and Iowa.
The politician defended the measure he signed in March of last year, known as the “Stop Woke Act,” which restricts teaching about race and diversity in schools and workplaces.
Among other provisions, Law 1467 authorizes district employees with a “media specialist” certificate to evaluate books in public schools and decide if they are suitable for discussion.
Under this initiative, for example, books such as the one on the history of the Puerto Rican Major League Baseball player, Roberto Clemente, was temporarily banned from Florida classrooms, an issue that led to a resounding mobilization of activists from the Puerto Rican diaspora.
The protester interrupted DeSantis during the message and yelled at him “fascist”, arguing that positions and actions like the above put the education, health and well-being of children at risk.
“Unfortunately, there are bad things coming into our schools; there is pornography that is entering our schools,” the governor alleged to those present. “So parents have to blow the whistle in Florida,” he added.
At that moment, the woman exclaimed: “A fascist f***ing”.
“We say gay,” the woman added, referring to other legislation that bans classes on sexual orientation and gender identity in state schools.
“Yeah, well, thanks, thanks,” DeSantis replied sarcastically.
“We are not going to let you impose your agenda on our children. We are going to stand up for our children,” DeSantis declared.
Amid boos and mockery from other event attendees, the female, whose identity is unknown, was escorted outside the venue.
DeSantis continued: “People like that in Florida are the ones we beat every day in politics. We don’t let them win. We won all those battles. We are not going to let them indoctrinate our children. Not under our surveillance, ”he argued.
It is not the first time that the conservative has faced attacks from citizens in the middle of public events.
Last April, a duo of women interrupted his speech in New Hampshire to accuse him of being anti-Semitic.
While speaking to the crowd at a fundraiser at the Double Tree Hilton in Manchester, opponents claimed the Republican hated Jews.
In a calm tone, DeSantis replied: “You have to have a little flavor in the speech, right?” “You have to have some fun,” he added.
The protesters who stormed the stage where DeSantis was giving his speech are part of “IfNotNow”, a group of progressive activists of Jewish origin who oppose Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
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