Four people were arrested Monday after a protest escalated at the Patel Center on the USF Tampa campus.
The protesters were part of a group of 25 members of the Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society. The group was protesting House Bill 999 which would ban critical race studies, African American studies and gender studies programs from Florida public schools and universities. The legislation is supported by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
USF senior Lauren Pineiro was not arrested but said she saw excessive use being used on fellow protesters.
“I don’t think they needed to slam us to the ground. They didn’t need to punch their fists into my head. They didn’t need to kick my friend’s head in. We were complying, we were leaving. We had our hands behind our backs,” Pineiro said.
Florida legislation would ban abortions after 6 weeks of pregnancy
The new bill was announced Tuesday by Gov. Ron DeSantis at the State of the State address. It would implement a new law banning abortions after six weeks if signed. The current ban on abortions in Florida is anytime after the 15-week mark of pregnancy.
If the bill is signed by DeSantis, it will take effect on July 1.
4 dead after plane crash over Winter Haven
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that four people are dead after two planes collided and fell into Lake Hartridge Tuesday afternoon.
The victims of the crash have been identified by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office as Faith Irene Baker, 24, of Winter Haven, a pilot/flight instructor with Sunrise Aviation (Cherokee Piper 161); Zachary Jean Mace, 19, of Winter Haven, a student at Polk State College (Cherokee Piper 161); Randall Elbert Crawford, 67, from Carlisle, Pennsylvania (Piper J-3 Cub); and Louis C. Defazio, 78 of Fredricksburg, Texas, and Winter Haven (Piper J-3 Cub.)
Sheriff’s chief of staff Steve Lester said they are still working at the scene.
“We are, right now, in the middle of a search and rescue. You can see it happening now. There is a whole lot going on, we have a lot of folks here working,” Lester said.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
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