Riots and peaceful protests — there’s a clear difference between the two, right?
The question is simple enough, but some on the left still can’t seem to make the distinction. (Consider the establishment media’s riot coverage, for instance.)
Polk County, Florida, Sheriff Grady Judd employed two photographs to help illustrate the difference at a Monday news conference during which Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an anti-rioting bill into law, the Washington Examiner reported.
“Peaceful protest we encourage,” the sheriff said, displaying a photo of a march in Washington, D.C., alongside one of a torched building.
“We can tell the difference, and I’ll guarantee you that you’ll be able to tell the difference if you come here and riot. If you come here and protest peacefully, we encourage that. ”
Polk County, Florida Sheriff Grady Judd shows two photos of a “peaceful protest” and a “riot”:
“We can tell the difference and I’ll guarantee you that you’ll be able to tell the difference if you come here and riot.”pic.twitter.com/jRl9t51ppL
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) April 19, 2021
It’s clear that rioters won’t receive the blue state treatment in Florida.
Judd’s words are a warning to those who would dare to commit violent crimes under the guise of a “protest.”
As waves of unrest continue to sweep our nation, it is essential that legislators and law enforcement get proactive.
DeSantis and Judd are doing just that.
Florida’s new anti-rioting law makes it harder for local governments to defund police and increases punishments for those who engage in riots.
“We saw last summer some of the local governments were actually telling, not necessarily in Florida but throughout the country, basically telling these folks to stand, telling police to stand down while cities burned, while businesses were burned, while people were being harmed,” DeSantis said, according to the Examiner.
“That’s a dereliction of duty.”
DeSantis and Judd aren’t going to let last year’s violent riots ever happen in Florida.
Law enforcement officials around the nation should follow their example of leadership on this issue. Residents and small business owners will be thankful for it.
Though Judd’s photos may seem to teach a laughably elementary lesson, his point is one that sadly needs to be made: There is, in fact, a clear difference between riots and peaceful protests.
It’s safe to say that rioters are not — and never will be — welcomed in Florida.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
