DeSantis Protesters With Pride Flag Say They Were Pushed to Ground, Kicked
Ron DeSantis presidential event claim they were physically abused by staff and attendees for holding up a rainbow flag during the speech.The governor has been viewed by many as the Republicans' culture war candidate, due to various anti-LGBTQ legislation pertaining to K-12 education, book bans and his public spats with Disney that have resulted in litigation.Protesting turning into violence is not entirely uncommon at campaign events.
One protester was purportedly punched and kicked at a Donald Trump rally in 2016 before being escorted out, according to NBC News.
However, research by the U.S. Crisis Monitor showed a higher rate of violence and instability leading up to the 2020 election, due to the infancy of the COVID-19 health crisis, the death of George Floyd, and Black Lives Matter protests.DeSantis, who is perceived as arguably Donald Trump's biggest challenger in the 2024 race, made a campaign stop on Monday at the Philip T.
Glennon Community Center in Tega Cay, South Carolina. More than 800 attendees reportedly showed up and scoured 80-degree heat hours in advance, according to The Charlotte Observer.Two of the three activists who reported being abused were Claire Jost and Will Sander, both 19 years old and from the Charlotte area.
