Free Republic

A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked Gov. Ron DeSantis and three Florida sheriffs from enforcing a key portion of the state’s so-called anti-riot law, in part, because it “encourages arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement.” The definition of what constitutes a riot under a new state law pushed by the governor is too vague “to the point of unconstitutionality,” U.S. District Judge Mark Walker of Tallahassee wrote in his preliminary injunction order....

Pro-life campaigners have been threatened with arrest under a draconian ‘riot law’ for holding prayer vigils outside an abortion clinic. Police used legislation which is commonly used to disperse rioters and football hooligans to force three campaigners to move away from the clinic on two separate occasions over the past six weeks. Officers issued the group, who try to persuade women to keep their unborn babies, with Section 14 Public Order Act notices. The strongly worded notice, which was used on both occasions, read: ‘I believe the intention of the organisers is the intimidation of others with a view to...