Nikki Fried, Senate leader Book arrested by police during abortion protest

TALLAHASSEE — Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried and Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book were arrested and taken away in handcuffs Monday night during a demonstration over an abortion bill outside Tallahassee City Hall near the Capitol.

The two Democratic leaders were with about 40 abortion-rights advocates protesting the Senate’s passage on Monday of SB 300, which bans most abortions after six weeks. Eleven protestors sitting in a circle singing “Lean on Me” on the plaza outside City Hall were detained and taken to jail, witnesses said.

Fried, who unsuccessfully ran for governor last year, wore a black T-shirt that said, “Just [expletive] Vote.”

They were charged with trespass after warning and taken to the county jail for processing, according to a statement from the Tallahassee Police Department.

“This is unacceptable,” said Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, one of the larger group of participants who was not arrested. “This is a Democratic mayor in a Democratic city and people are fighting for their abortion rights.”

City Commissioner Jeremy Matlow said he was shocked by the arrests.

“I don’t recognize Tallahassee anymore,” said the lifelong city resident. “This has always been a city that welcomed people and their constitutional right to protest.”

The demonstration was organized by Occupy Tallahassee as part of a statewide day of action, said Gena Casas, the membership director for Jacksonville NOW.

Getting permission to demonstrate had been an ordeal for the organizers. They first received a permit to hold the demonstration on the grassy pitch of Kleman Plaza a block west of City Hall, but that permit was revoked. A second permit for the City Hall plaza was revoked hours before the planned protest, but the organizers went ahead anyway, Casas said.

City officials decided to put up police barricades around the plaza and impose an 8 p.m. curfew, anticipating a much larger crowd who said they wanted to camp out overnight, Casas said. But they started telling people to disburse around 5:30 p.m., which they refused to do.

They started rounding up the small circle of protestors shortly after 8 p.m. and pushed the rest of the crowd back with the wooden barricades, witnesses said.

More protestors looking on continued to shout slogans and yell “Shame!” as the police moved in.

“We must all take up the fight because this was never about life,” said Book, D-Plantation, during the debate Monday on the bill, which passed 26-13 in the Republican-dominated chamber. “It is and it always has been about control.”

The debate on the bill was interrupted twice by protesters shouting from the gallery, until Senate President Kathleen Passidomo ordered the sergeant at arms to escort everyone out of the galleries and shut them down until the bill was voted on.

The House isn’t expected to take up the bill until next week after Easter break.