A Democratic Jacksonville City Council member explained Monday why he chose to shut down community members who booed and jeered Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as he tried to make a statement at a vigil for victims of a racially motivated shooting over the weekend.
Ju’Coby Pittman grabbed the microphone and told the audience, “it’s not about the party today,” allowing the Republican presidential candidate to finish his remarks.
“I didn’t know that the governor was coming. The emcee of the day called him. He just should have been acknowledged to be there,” Pittman told CNN.
Sunday’s vigil came after three black people were shot and killed by a white man at a Dollar General store on Saturday afternoon.
“I want the audience to calm down because I want him to sit down and I want it to be an event for residents and communities that have come together for unity,” the councilor added.
Pittman insisted that he did not “endorse any of the positions or policies that the governor has implemented.”
Ron DeSantis spoke Sunday during a vigil for the Jacksonville.AP shooting
The crowd’s boos in Jacksonville were so loud for Presidential candidate Ron DeSantis that Councilman Ju’Coby Pittman had to stop the Governor to settle the crowd and remind them to put politics aside for now. pic.twitter.com/SPas87T50L
— Steph Wash (@WashNews) August 27, 2023
Ju’Coby Pittman faced some backlash for protecting the governor from mobsters. CNN
Three black men were shot dead by white suspects in what authorities described as a racially motivated attack on Saturday.Getty Images
Some progressives pounced on DeSantis following the attack, with Florida State Representative Angie Nixon claiming the governor had “blood on his hands.”
Despite the ridicule, DeSantis vowed that he would not “allow this institution to target people.”
On Monday, he announced a $1 million grant to improve security at Edward Waters University, a historically black school where the shooter is believed to have stopped first before moving on to a Dollar General store after being turned away.
Many local residents mourned and paid tribute to the victims of the violent rampage.Getty Images
NEW: DeSantis announces $1 million for Edward Waters University, an HBCU, to improve campus security and $100,000 to support families of Jacksonville shooting victims
The shooter reportedly went there first before attacking the crowd at the Dollar General
“We will not allow… pic.twitter.com/rudmlgtRg8
— Florida Voice (@FLVoiceNews) August 28, 2023
DeSantis also strongly condemned the rampage of hate.
“What he did was completely unacceptable in the state of Florida,” DeSantis said of the gunman. “We will not allow people to be targeted based on their race.”
Ron DeSantis continued his speech as a precaution despite facing jeers from the audience.REUTERS
Meanwhile, DeSantis is grappling with the second crisis to hit the Sunshine State – Tropical Storm Idalia.
The storm is projected to become a Category 3 hurricane as soon as Monday and is expected to make landfall Tuesday, according to experts and the National Weather Service.
DeSantis canceled a planned appearance at a pair of campaign events in South Carolina Monday and has begun gathering resources in preparation for the storm.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
