Banner Dropped in Support of Florida 4

SRC members dropped a banner over the I-75 in Weston in solidarity with the Florida 4, political prisoners from the pro-choice movement being prosecuted by the FBI for the alleged vandalism of an anti-abortion center in 2022 in the fallout of the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

As a result of their federal prosecution under the FACE Act, a law originally meant to protect abortion clinics from terrorist attacks, the Florida 4 face 12 years in prison if they are convicted of the minor property damage and graffiti they are accused of perpetrating.

 

Comprehensive List of DeSantis’ Legislation Against Humanity

TO ALL READERS, this is a very incomplete list. Our governor’s done a lot more fucked up shit. If you want some stuff added DM us on our social medias (@sflsrc on everything) or email us at sflsrc@riseup.net.

Anti-Immigrant:

SB1718: Repressive act against undocumented immigrants imposing the following:

  • $12 million allocated to deport undocumented immigrants to other states
  • Invalidates driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants from other states within Florida
  • Prohibits local or municipal governments from issuing undocumented immigrants any sort of ID
  • Requires hospitals to collect information about a patient’s immigration status
  • Makes usage of false ID by undocumented immigrants in order to gain employment a felony
  • 5-15 years in prison for transporting undocumented immigrants into Florida as an enhancement of the RICO Act
  • Fines businesses $5000+ for employing undocumented immigrants

Anti-LGBT+:

SB1580/HB1403: Allows Florida healthcare providers to refuse services to people “based on moral, ethical, or religious beliefs”, sanctioning the denial of care to the LGBT+ community based on “personal beliefs”.

HB1557: Known as the Don’t Say Gay Act; bans discussion of LGBT+ people and issues in schools, recently enhanced to enforce this from K-12th grade.

SB254: Bans gender-affirming care for minors and removes children receiving any such care from the custody of their parents, forcing them into a lifetime of suffering in the foster system.

HB1521/SB1674: Forces trans people to use the restroom of their assigned gender from birth and prohibits the establishment of gender-inclusive restrooms and changing facilities in institutions such as public schools, colleges, universities, state and local-government buildings, prisons and jails.

64B8-9.019: Rule imposed by Florida Board of Medicine enforcing the denial of age-appropriate gender-affirming care to trans youth.

Anti-Women’s Rights:

HB7/SB300: Bans abortion after the 6-week term, before most people are even aware of their pregnancy. Only approves abortions before 6 weeks after 2 appointments with doctor at least 24 hours apart, further straining the right to reproductive health choices. Also prohibits the dispensation of medical abortion pills through telehealth and bans the use of public funds to travel out of state for abortion care.

Anti-Worker:

SB256: Anti-union legislation enacting the following:

  • Prevents dues from being deducted from workers’ paychecks, forcing union members to make manual payments to unions
  • Forces unions to be recertified as bargaining agents if fewer than 60% of eligible employees are members
  • Allows public employers to challenge union applications to renew registrations as bargaining agents if employers think applications are inaccurate
  • Prison guard, firefighter, and police unions are exempt from such repression of labor rights

SB102: Prohibits rent control and wresting local powers away from county and municipal governments to the state

Anti-Education:

HB1557: Known as the Don’t Say Gay Act; bans discussion of LGBT+ people and issues in schools, recently enhanced to enforce this from K-12th grade.

HB7: The “STOP WOKE” Act prohibits instruction on race relations or diversity that imply someone’s status as privileged/oppressed is determined by race, color, national origin or gender

HB999/SB266: Prohibits university sponsorship or funding for any programs or campus activities (such as classes) that promote diversity, equity, inclusion or “Critical Race Theory”

Prohibition of AP African American Studies: claiming the class “lacks educational value” because of its discussion of intersectionality, Black queer history and the Black Lives Matter movement

Book bans: Prohibition of 565 books in counties/districts across Florida such as biographies, children’s books like “And Tango Makes Three” and classic novels like “The Handmaid’s Tale”. Also banned 40% of math textbooks for supposedly promoting “woke ideology”

Purge of New College: 6 trustees and university president purged by DeSantis and replaced by fascist allies with the aim of creating an exemplary right-wing “educational” institution. Diversity/equity programs eliminated, tenure protections weakened, and “western civilization” courses mandated

 

 

Campaign for the Florida 4

The Florida Four are a group of pro-choice activists from across the state being accused of and charged for “attacks” on anti-abortion centers in various parts of the state. Federal charges have been laid on them under the FACE Act, which was originally meant to prosecute anti-choice terrorists who attacked abortion clinics and other such centers such as Planned Parenthood. If found guilty, the alleged graffiti written carries a sentence of up to 12 years in prison.

This wave of repression represents the first time that the US government has used such legislation to protect “pro-life” organizations and target pro-choice activists, representing the widespread perception of the left as an increasing threat to the American status quo. In the future, it is predictable that such laws initially devised to put down the far-right will be used against social movements for liberation & autonomy as the social war broadens across US society.

Popular awareness and opposition is critical to stopping the crackdown on our movement, and push back against federal repression against the pro-choice current as soon as its actions became visible. The Tekesta Partisan Movement will be putting its weight behind public awareness and support for those in the crosshairs of the American empire. Support our political prisoners – even when they’re innocent!

Read more from the South Florida Anti-Repression Committee:

Press Release #1

Press Release #2

 

Remembering Aref Ghanbarzai

Aref Ghanbarzai was a 15-year-old member of the Anarchist Federation of Iran & Afghanistan, assassinated on the 22nd of September in 2022 by state security forces. He was shot by members of the IRGC in his slum residence with his hands up, refusing to be arrested and tortured to death by the Iranian theocratic regime.

Aref was a child worker and of the Baloch ethnicity, one of the historically oppressed nations of Iran. He had participated in the Anarchist Federation’s assemblies, as well as the revolt across the territories of Iran in the wake of Mahsa Amini’s murder by morality police for not wearing a hijab.

Like many other impoverished Baloch peoples, Aref did not have proper ID and has no photo record of himself. The memory of his life and struggle for the liberation of all, will, therefore, be diffused only through the saying of his name. Aref Ghanbarzai presente!