TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Nikki Fried and Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book were among nearly a dozen protestors arrested in Tallahassee Monday evening while protesting the state’s six-week abortion ban, according to media reports and video on social media.
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Video on Twitter shows Fried and Book among several people sitting in a circle and singing in front of City Hall, across from the Florida Capitol, when Tallahassee police officers approached and asked them to disperse.
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See the video below:
BREAKING: Tallahassee Police Department just arrested dozens of peaceful pro-choice protestors at City Hall outside of the Florida Capitol.
— Florida Planned Parenthood Action (@PPactionFL) April 4, 2023
This includes Senator @LeaderBookFL and FDP Chair @NikkiFriedFL.
Abortion is health care. pic.twitter.com/4O78dozXbg
“The City had been working with protest organizers for over a week; however, due to the size of the crowd they were expecting and their desire for overnight camping, they were informed last Friday of the City’s inability to accommodate them,” Tallahassee police said in a statement. “Upon the group’s arrival to City Hall today, they were allowed to utilize the property during normal operating hours.”
Tallahassee police said the protestors were given “multiple warnings throughout the day” and the protestors “acknowledged they understood that anyone refusing to leave the premises at sundown would be subject to arrest.”
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Today TPD assisted in ensuring a safe environment for demonstrators from across the state as they peacefully protested Senate Bill 300 in front of City Hall, located across from the Florida Capitol. To read more, click here: https://t.co/DAqs9H6Dog pic.twitter.com/CfkYKcnqZH
— Tallahassee Police (@TallyPD) April 4, 2023
A majority of the protestors left the property while 11 people refused to leave despite numerous requests, and were arrested for trespassing after a warning, police said.
Florida Democrats tweeted a photo of Fried being arrested, writing “Florida Democrats will not back down in our defense of abortion rights. Our Chair made that clear tonight.”
Shortly before midnight, Fried announced on social media that she was out of jail.
Part of a Twitter post read, “I’m out. And not ever backing down.”
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BREAKING: Florida Democratic Party Chair @NikkiFried was arrested in Tallahassee for defending a woman’s right to choose.
— Florida Democrats (@FlaDems) April 4, 2023
Florida Democrats will not back down in our defense of abortion rights. Our Chair made that clear tonight.
Join us the fight here: https://t.co/j8Sro8zpHe pic.twitter.com/eYbFs9sxGz
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