Anti-mask protesters forced school board to postpone a meeting
“Folks weren’t wearing masks and refused to follow the rules — rules that people have followed for the last year and a half,” School Board Member Sarah Leonardi said of the protesters. “It made it very difficult to hold our meeting behind closed doors.”
Leonardi said the group set masks on fire during their demonstration and called the protest “very disturbing.”
The protester can be heard saying in the video, “It is time to cast off this symbol of tyranny, this symbol of child abuse — we will not stand for it anymore.”
Anti-mask protesters gathered at the Broward School Board headquarters before a board meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on July 27.
Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis met privately with a panel of experts Monday, who effectively reinforced his anti-mask position in schools, warning that if the federal government and school districts push for masks in classrooms, a special session of the legislature is not out of the question.
“Parents know what’s best for their children; therefore, parents in Florida are empowered to make their own choices with regards to masking,” DeSantis’ spokesperson Christina Pushaw said Tuesday.
Barbara Rodas, who was at the Broward County protest, told WFOR she doesn’t want her 6-year-old daughter to have to wear a mask in school.
“I’m here to advocate for her and for her school friends,” she told the local station.
The mask requirement workshop has been postponed until July 28, Leonardi said, noting there will be new security.
CNN’s Giovanna Van Leeuwen, Rosa Flores, Kacey Cherry, John Couwels and Tina Burnside contributed to this report.
