The Political Insider

Florida Governor Rick DeSantis has drafted “anti-mob” legislation that would allow citizens to defend themselves against looters and rioters.

DeSantis Takes A Stand Against Rioters And Looters

Over the summer, violent leftist rioters caused billions of dollars in damage across the country, after “protests” were kicked off following the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis. This was the most expensive in insurance history.

In response to this, Florida Governor Rick DeSantis has decided to draft “anti-mob” legislation that would allow small business owners to defend themselves and their property from violent looters and rioters during these sort of events.

A key component of this legislation expands on Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law, and would empower citizens to use force against rioters who use “criminal mischief” that results in the “interruption or impairment” of a business.

Looters would also be allowed to defended against under this legislation, which defines it as burglary within 500 feet of “a violent or disorderly assembly.” Criminal penalties would be increased for those involved in such assemblies as well.

An Expansion Of Proposed Anti-Mob Legislation From September

The legislation appears to be an expansion of DeSantis’s proposed “Combatting Violence, Disorder and Looting and Law Enforcement Protection Act,” which he announced in September of this year.

The newly announced draft includes a number of key components from September’s bill, such as enhancing criminal penalties for people involved in violent assemblies, making it a third degree felony to block traffic, and withholding state funding for governments that defund the police.

“We are not going to permit localities to defund the police,” DeSantis said in September. “If you defund the police, then the state is going to defund any grant or aids coming to you.”

Leftists Oppose Self-Defense Against Mobs

However, while many conservatives were supportive, not everyone was thrilled by DeSantis’ new anti-mob legislation.

“It allows for vigilantes to justify their actions,” former Miami-Dade County prosecutor Denise Georges said. “It also allows for death to be the punishment for a property crime, and that is cruel and unusual punishment. We cannot live in a lawless society where taking a life is done so casually and recklessly.”

“What’s interesting to see is Gov. Ron DeSantis has so much time on his hands that he can craft legislation to address an imaginary issue in the state of Florida,” said state Representative Carlos Guillermo Smith, Democrat.

“We don’t have a crisis with riots or with looters,” he added. “What we do have is millions of Floridians pushed into poverty and unemployment as a result of the economic consequences of coronavirus.”

Audrey Webb, a former Miami-Dade prosecutor, claimed that the Boston Tea Party members would have been unlawfully shot under the legislation.

“It dangerously gives armed private citizens power to kill as they subjectively determine what constitutes ‘criminal mischief’ that interferes with a business,” she argued.

Biden Administration Would Take Aim Against The Second Amendment

The draft legislation follows comments from Joe Biden hours before last weeks election, where he doubled down on attacking the Second Amendment, and therefore self-defense along with it.

“As president, I’ll ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, implement universal background checks, and enact other common-sense reforms to end our gun violence epidemic,” Biden tweeted.