On the 30th of May, pro-Palestine protesters showed up at the Orlando office of Rep Darren Soto (D/FL-09). He has been siding like Biden with Israel’s horrific genocide in Gaza. Protesters warned he would “pay an electoral price for this” no matter what the political landscape.

He and his staffers ducked protesters, the office appearing to be closed. It was not: shortly after the protest ended, they retrieved the demands note left on their doorstep and left a response which I have not read.

Minutes before the protest was to start, there were five Fl state police cruisers, one security guard, and two fire department vehicles in the parking lot. The fire dept left shortly before protesters arrived, unknown what they were doing.

At the start of the protest speakers read out ther demands. These included not only a cease-fire and an end to arming Israel, but also an end to the muscular, full-powered attempts to snuff out dissent in the US. The nationwide police assaults on campus protesters were cited by a speaker as one example, as was the violent police attack with tear gas in Lake Eola Park on May 11.

On the 28th of May, Tampa Fl Palestinians and their supporters marched from 56th and Fowler to the main intersection in front of USF and then back.

This time around in Tampa, the cops seemed to be on well-earned leashes. Stung by the publicity after the brutal attacks on the USF encampment, the Tampa Police Department held back, and the marked police vehicles I saw belonged to the Temple Terrace Police Department rather than IOF-trained Tampa PD.

Four years ago on the 25th of May, Minniapolis cops murdered George Floyd. The Uprising began that very day and night. On 5-25-2024, activists gathered at Lakeland Florida’s sole police HQ to remember George Floyd. They also celebrated Antwan Glover’s hard fought victory over false charges filed after he was assaulted by Lakeland cops.

Protesters demanded charges be dropped in a number of similar cases in Lakeland. They also demanded brutal cops be fired and prosecuted. The keynote speaker of the entire rally was Antwan Glover himself.

Bonus clip at very start of video: Days into the start of the Uprising, MN 3ed precinct burns as police radio transmits order to evacuate

On the 21st of May, the first of what may be a long string of solidarity protests was held at the courthouse for the USF 13 arrestees. These are the folks violently and brutally arrested by cops in response to the Palestine solidarity encampment at University of South Florida (USF).

One speaker at the rally was one of the Tampa 5 defendents, who held out and refused to negotiate until the government threw in the towel and dropped the charges. Another was one of the USF 13, stating that like the Tampa 5 defendents they were refusing “misdemeanor diversion.” It is the government, the USF administration, and Tampa Mayor Jane Castor who should be facing criminal charges, not these 13 defenders of Palestine! Their Israeli friends ARE facing warrants, thanks to the International Criminal Court.

Note that contrary to a lying statement by Ron DeSantis, the encampment was NOT “removed in minutes” but rather survived the first police attack on April 29. At 5:01PM on April 30 riot cops returned in much greater force in a blizzard of tear gas and even rubber bullets.

On the 15th of May, the Palestine Solidarity camp at UCF held their Nakba 76th anniv vigil with no police interference.The point was made at the vigil that Israel has bombed EVERY university in Gaza.

The only incident involving cops was one of reckless driving. After two cops drove fast in lights and siren to the intersection with the main road, one of them drove back into the campus at high speed with headlights OFF and no other lights showing until his brake lights came on. This is how cars, and bikers, and pedestrians get rammed and slammed. Booo!

On the 11th of May, a large Nakba (catastrophe) Day march commemorating the loss of much of Palestine to Israel assembled in Orlando’s Lake Eola Park. A storm of bike cops descended on the march within the hour. They were quite aggressive in blocking the march from leaving the park.

Once the march turned back to march clockwise around the lake, cops seemed to watch and wait. At the NE corner they pounced. I personally was harassed about being on a bike of my own, no doubt as cops didn’t want my camera in the park. Not willing to give up my ability to maneuver against them for safety, I had to exit the park and film from the outside. Within minutes, they broadcast a mostly inaudible warning not to use bullhorns, then started to muscle their way into the crowd.

Cops never did get anyone with a bullhorn, instead going all the way to attack mode on encountering an arm-locked blockade. Two people were arrested, neither in possession of a bullhorn, and cops fired pepper spray at that moment. They fired a LOT of pepper spray, generating a wind-driven yellow cloud that maced many in the crowd including children as young as five years old.

Within the hour, protesters returned to Disney’s entrance off I-4, this time targetting the mile marker 67 off-ramp to Disney and not the main traffic lanes. Unknown if this was meant as a reprisal for the police violence, but it certainly qualifies as an effective one. This would be considered “counter-value targetting.” That means ensuring that if your side is harmed by an aggressor, something the aggressor values highly pays the price. Nothing is more valuble to the City of Orlando than Disney, the economic engine of the whole area.

Video from DC Media Group footage

On the 9th of May, students and supporters marched to 19th and F sts, in front of the George Washington University administration building. The university still under siege by cops from the raid two days earlier. Therefore, students set up in the middle of the street, and even pitched tents in the street.

A storm of bike cops showed up, and a protracted standoff ensued, with fears of a kettle and mass arrest that proved to be another Bagshaw Bluff. Killer Cop Bagshaw appeared to be commanding the cops again, drawing a chorus of boos from the crowd.

Eventually, protesters decided to march back out of the potential trap in a single strong unit, similar to the decision made at USF to march in, show the flag (literally) and march back out but this time only under direct threat.

Video from clips by John Zangas/DC Media Group

On the 7th of May, George Washington University (GWU) students marched on the home of the university’s president. Cops barely got there in time to hold the steps of the house as a strong crowd rolled in. This protest makes it plain: those who continue to invest in and support genocide will be held personally accountable.

On the 6th of May, student protesters at University of Central Florida set up camp at the university’s entrance at Alafaya and University Blvd. Commencement may have come and gone and classes ended for the semester, but the university’s investments in apartheid and genocide are still ongoing. Thus protesters continue to target the university.

As the day wore on, police harassment kept things tense. Anyone stopping a car in the area was pulled over, forcing use of a complex system to deliver supplies without anyone bringing a car into harm’s way.

At one point, one of the university police golf carts showed up with a sound system. After several minutes of lies and crap about the university respecting free speech etc, they broadcast first threats of arrest for unstated “law violations” then came the kicker: they threatened students or staff engaging in “prohibited acts” with explusion or firing (this is on the video).

At about 7PM, cops began blocking off roads near the campsite, and acting in a way to imply a kettle was imminent. No further attack came until the 10PM mess.

At 10PM the shit hit the fan, or so the cops were thinking. A report went out over IG that cops were not letting anyone leave-but the entire camp had already escaped. Unknown if the cops intended arrests but were outsmarted, or if the kettle the cops set up was a bluff like their bike line on May 4 was.

On the 4th of May, the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando held their commencement. As graduates filed out, a pro-Palestine protest was set up front and center in the grassy mall onto which they emerged. A very large number of bike cops and protest pens up front walled off the protest-and one of the cops was armed with a yellow shotgun type weapon. This is designated by its color as a crowd control weapon, which fires impact munitions rather than lead bullets or shot.

Before cops could aggressively shut things down on their timetable, protesters withdrew by surprise as a cohesive unit. Bike cops moved to circle the exiting protesters but made no move to stop those who went right through their line.