Leaders and Organizations Join Forces Against Hate Demonstration in Florida

The Sunshine State has the second highest number of active hate groups in the nation.

Images of a demonstration that took place on Saturday in Orlando, including Nazi symbols and racist language, continue to cause local and national outrage.

The rally was in the Alafaya Trail and Waterford Lakes Parkway areas. There, demonstrators gave the Nazi salute and carried signs with offensive language. One of the demonstrators was caught on video punching a man in traffic.

State officials have condemned the protest saying there’s no place in Florida for hate.

“Nazism is against every value we hold as Americans & we must be united against anti-semitism, homophobia, transphobia, racism & ableism. If you agree, make a donation to @holocaustcenter so we will never forget the atrocities of Nazism & fascism,” wrote Rep. Anna Eskamani.

Rep. Carlos G. Smith is calling out Gov. Ron DeSantis because he hasn’t made a statement about the rally, and more than 48 hours later there have still not been any arrests. The representative also pointed out that Florida holds the second place in the nation for the most active hate groups.

Several organizations have also spoken out. Among them is La Mesa Boricua, a nonprofit organization that works for the Puerto Rican community in Florida. They stated the right to free expression should not be used to utter insults and threats to any other individual or ethnic group.

“The organizations that make up La Mesa Boricua de Florida repudiate the actions of a small group of neo-Nazi protesters who were stationed in areas of the Alafaya Trail and Waterford Lakes Parkway proliferating racist and anti-Semitic insults and threats. We recognize that these small, radical groups do not represent American values; however, their threats and expressions are a clear attempt at intimidating others, and it has no place in our community,” the organization wrote in a statement.