Tallahassee Police Arrest Demonstrators Protesting Florida Senate's Passage of Near Total Abortion Ban

Tallahassee - Tuesday April 4, 2023: A group of abortion rights supporters were arrested Monday evening outside the Tallahassee City Hall while protesting the Florida Senate's passage of a bill earlier in the day that would ban abortions after 6-weeks.

Thirteen peaceful protestors were arrested including Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried and Florida Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book. The demonstrators were sitting in a circle on a public walkway, holding hands and singing protest songs. They put up no resistance to their arrests.

The demonstrators said they oppose what they called the "extreme abortion restrictions" in Senate Bill 300 which they say is a near total ban on abortions. Florida's Senators voted 26 to 13 Monday to approve the measure. Senate Republicans voting overwhelmingly in favor of the six-week ban, although Republican Senators Alexis Calatayud of Miami and Corey Simon of Tallahassee broke from their party and voted with Democrats against the bill. The Florida House has not yet acted on its version of the same bill.

“A large majority of Floridians believe all people – no matter what we look like or where we come from – deserve the rights, freedoms, and opportunities to control our bodies and our life’s path,” said Sarah Parker, President of Women’s Voices of SW Florida, before she was arrested. “That certainly includes the right and ability to have an abortion.”

Thirteen peaceful protestors including Fried and Book were arrested by Tallahassee city police.

“A large majority of Floridians believe all people – no matter what we look like or where we come from – deserve the rights, freedoms, and opportunities to control our bodies and our life’s path,” said Sarah Parker, President of Women’s Voices of SW Florida, before she was arrested. “That certainly includes the right and ability to have an abortion.”

“With Gov. Ron DeSantis and his allies in the Florida Legislature making a near total abortion ban a top priority, the deck is stacked against us,” said Amy Weintraub, Progress Florida Reproductive Freedom Program Director. “Today, we stood up, spoke out, and some of us were arrested for exercising our right to peaceful protest. This won’t deter us from working to protect our hard-fought freedoms and stop anti-abortion politicians from turning back the clock on health care, equality, and the freedom to control our bodies,” said Weintraub.