A group that City Commissioner Jack Porter is affiliated with, Local Progress, released a statement on Friday, May 3rd, supporting pro-Palestinian demonstrations which have spread across university campuses over the last couple of weeks.
Porter, who is listed as an organizing member of the Florida branch of the group, was one of over 300 members of the progressive group that signed a resolution in January, 2024, calling for a cease fire in the Israel-Palestine conflict. The group did not release a statement in the days or weeks following the October 7 attacks on Israel.
In the recent release, Local Progress, wrote, “As a network of local elected officials, we stand in solidarity with students calling for peace and denounce the use of law enforcement or carceral threats to quell discourse and dissent.”
However, the protests calling for peace have become disruptive to campus life and have at times turned violent, targeting Jewish students.
The protests, which began at Columbia University in New York, drew criticism from local elected officials.
“Smashing windows with hammers and taking over university buildings is not free speech. It is lawlessness. And those who did it should promptly face consequences that are not merely a slap on the wrist,” Senator Chuck Schumer said in a floor speech. “Campuses cannot be places of learning and argument and discussion when protests veer into criminality.”
Schumer was not the only New York Democrat raisings concerns about the protests. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said she’s worried about safety on campus, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called the antisemitism on display “completely unacceptable and deeply disturbing.”
“Students who wrongfully occupy buildings, destroy private property, and willfully disrupt campus life should be held accountable,” said Reps. Adriano Espaillat and Jerry Nadler, who urged the school “swiftly to remove the students who have engaged in unlawful actions so the campus can reopen and return to normal activity.”
The Local Progress statement – provided below – did not address the violence and antisemitism tone of the protests.
Due to her affiliation with Local Progress, we have asked City Commissioner Jack Porter for a comment on the group’s position. We will publish the response when it is received.
LOCAL PROGRESS STATEMENT
As a network of local elected officials, we stand in solidarity with students calling for peace and denounce the use of law enforcement or carceral threats to quell discourse and dissent.
Protests, encampments, and calls for a ceasefire have been met with violent suppression on college campuses. Columbia University. Washington University. University of Colorado. And dozens of others. The events of the past few days and weeks are part of a troubling trend, with academic institutions suppressing free speech via local law enforcement and endangering the safety of students they should be protecting. These suppression tactics also empower further violence – especially when institutions deliberately fail to protect students, as seen at UCLA.
Institutions – both public and private – should be creating spaces for hard discussions, constructive debates, and peaceful demonstrations with the recognition that civil disobedience is both non-violent and disruptive. We applaud the example that St. Louis University and University of Minnesota have set so far.
We remain steadfast in our defense of the right to free speech and non-violent protest – and that includes local leaders who are standing with their communities. We continue to stand with all those calling for peace and justice.
Jack Porter Affiliated Group Issues Statement Supporting Pro-Palestinian Demonstrations added by Staff on
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funny thing, they started the violence, it getting finished.as the say dont start something if you cant finish it
No one cares if people stand around and yell for peace.
However, the insurrection we are seeing is not this. “Protesters” are harassing people, engaging in violence, threats, vandalism, seizing public property, obstructing travel and use of public resources, raising foreign flags and declaring US property foreign, and aiding and abetting enemies of the US, a foreign country and organization who took and still hold americans hostage… among other crimes.
@ Sarah ….. These Kids (and Young Adults) are Tik-Tok Generation and THAT is where they get their News from. THAT is why the Democrats don’t want to Ban Tik-Tok. Most of them are ON Tik-Tok and use it to spread their Lies, including Biden.
I’m actually surprised by some of these comments. I am so surprised that so many are in favor of Hamas. I know Tallahassee is a Democratic town, but wow! They are literally pushing for the elimination of the Jewish people. This is modern day Nazism, and these kids (and the Democrats) are just too stupid to see it. They believe what they are fed online and MSM.
George has some serious issues he needs to work out. Major TDS at play there.
@DeepStatePropagandist… the disparity in your comments associated with the respective parties involved speaks volumes about your true leanings. Spare us your feigned attempt at a balanced perspective. And comparing what Biden’s little Nazi Brown Shirt Brats are doing, to the protests associated with Vietnam and the Democrat Party’s opposition to segregation, is insulting and shows a sever lack of historical and intellectual acuity on your part.
What these malleable little TikTok twerps are doing, saying, and threatening is more analogous to Hitler’s Youth brigades of the 30’s under the direction and teaching of Baldur von Schirach. Do some more homework before you try to defend Biden’s Brown Shirt Brats and the two Pro-Hamas Progressives on the Commission.
Wonderer is correct, this war has been going on since the 40’s. And for the record, there is such place as Palestine. Try to find it on a map if you don’t believe me. It’s simply a fictions name, or dream as it were, coined by Yasser Arafat.
Why is “Jack” Porter not focusing on Tallahassee City issues? Local government has no jurisdiction/reach in getting Hamas to return Israeli hostages. If she believes she has an influence I will contribute to her plane ticket to Palestine, please Steve start a Fund to send “Jack” to Palestine. Local officials need to focus on local issues. Fix the roads, make communities safe and figure out how to lower taxes for property owners.
Do you MAGA goobers know that Palestinians are Semites too? Have y’all heard of the Camp David peace accords?
I haven’t forgotten about all the posts about George Soros and globalism. Y’all are the anti-Semites and always have been.
Mother Russia will welcome you all.
Looks to me like there is plenty of wrong from both sides. This has been going on since (about) 1948.
Over 50% of the people who used to live in the West Bank were under 18 when Israel started bombing the place into oblivion. They bombed literally thousands, or tens of thousands, of children. No amount of handwaving can change this simple fact. Everyone should be appalled. Anyone who thinks rallying for bombing fewer children makes someone an antisemite is a total and complete idiot and Jesus weeps at the idea that you believe you are following his principles.
Likewise, everyone should be appalled at what happened on October 7 when Hamas murdered Israelis. This isn’t difficult to reconcile.
Students were right when the protested segregation. They were right when they protested Vietnam. They were right when the protested Wall Street. They’re right again.
It seems Jackie can add antisemite to her list of Marxist quals. That girl is not on our side.
enough with the nat’l narratives. and who really cares about this faint tenuous connection, what about our taxes and borrowing $135 million for a TPD building. these actually matter here in town. Democrat 20+ year career politician Curtis Richardson ain’t saving East Jerusalem with his 3-2 property tax increase
so Rudy Ferguson and his developer handlers support what’s happening in the West Bank with U.S. financed weapons.. isn’t his ghostwriter Bugra “Somo” Demirel a Turkish immigrant?
Local Progress is many people not one Tallahassee councilwoman but good for them, a Christian nation should fund erasing a nationality for foreign Isr. interests
@ Frank… 100% correct
@ Newwhatever… nice word play there, Saul. Please show us in the article where that exact phrase you put in quotation marks exist… go ahead, we’ll wait. You Biden Brown Shirt Nazi Brats are hilariously dim witted. My guess is you couldn’t point out Israel on a map of… Israel.
To be clear, these ‘protests’ are not against the war that hamas started.They are anti Israel protests and we are back to having to fight the nazis again.
“jack porter group” ha… really jumping the shark with the slant
FYI – she is listed as an organizing member for the Local Progress group in Florida.
“Institutions – both public and private – should be creating spaces for hard discussions, constructive debates” …………….. Isn’t that called, the Classroom?
From what I have seen, “Local Law Enforcement” only came into play when the Protests became Violent. When ever their is an Event that will draw a lot of People (over40) Law Enforcement has to be present. I attend Car Shows and Cars & Coffee Events and many times there is Law Enforcement present.
“As a network of Local ELECTED Officials” ……………………….. Will you give us their Names?
Whooop, there it is…
Porter and the Pizza Boy are both Pro-Hamas Progressives. From Hanoi Jane to Hamas Joe, these Democrats have never met a terrorist they didn’t like.