The University of Florida ( UF) made headlines when a series of protests erupted on its campus, leading to the arrest of several individuals.
University of Florida officials, led by former Republican Senator President Ben Sasse, were quick to respond to the protests, issuing warnings about prohibited activities during demonstrations.
“What we tell all of our students, protesters and non, is there are two things we’re going to affirm over and over again: We will always defend your right to free speech and free assembly,” Sasse said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
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“Also, we have time, place, and manner restrictions, and you don’t get to take over the whole university. People don’t get to spit at cops. You don’t get to barricade yourselves in buildings. You don’t get to disrupt somebody else’s commencement,” he said.
At least one Democrat agrees.
Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman joined Brett Baer on Fox News Tuesday and praised UF President Sasse for the response to anti-Israel protesters.
“I thought that he was right on point on that. It’s like, you know, we can have protesters, we can have a space to allow that, but you can’t take over, you know, we’re not going to listen to or respond to or let the fringe or the kind of the loudest kinds of voices to respond on that,” said Fetterman.
“And it’s like you can’t have damage. You can’t spit on cops. You can’t be allowed to stop things from happening. I thought that’s exactly how it should be. I mean, it’s very much an American value to free speech. But what you have manifested on the campuses now is not that,” said Fetterman.
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The university made it clear that it would not tolerate any form of violence, threats, or disruptions. Students and employees found violating these rules faced severe consequences, including suspension and termination.
“This is not complicated: The University of Florida is not a daycare, and we do not treat protesters like children — they knew the rules, they broke the rules, and they’ll face the consequences,” university spokesman Steve Orlando said in the statement.
According to the statement, “many” protesters on campus were “outside agitators” and that university police had reminded demonstrators of the restrictions.
According to the university, demonstrators who engage in “clearly prohibited activities” will be issued trespassing orders by police, barring them from university premises for three years, as well as “interim” suspensions from UF.
A document released last week and extensively shared on social media outlined permitted protest activities as well as prohibited measures. Speech, “expressing viewpoints,” and “holding signs in hands” were all mentioned as acceptable activities.
The use of amplified sound, demonstrations within buildings, camping, building construction, interruptions, threats, and violence were all prohibited actions.
Despite the warnings, nine individuals were arrested by the University Police Department (UPD) and the Florida Highway Patrol. Charges ranged from failure to obey a lawful command to trespass after warning. One protester even faced charges of battery after spitting on an officer.
Gov. Ron DeSantis praised Florida UF’s response to the protest during a press conference in Naples on Tuesday morning.
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“The University of Florida, Florida State, our universities have been very strong in saying, ‘You can say what you want, but you don’t have the right to commandeer territory, you don’t have the right to harass students or faculty or any of that. And if you do violate (the) code of conduct, we’re going to show you the door. You will be expelled,’” DeSantis said.
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