‘Occupy Tally’ protesters to camp out overnight at Leon Co. courthouse
Members of the group were arrested outside City Hall last week
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - Pro-abortion rights protesters are back in Tallahassee this week, demonstrating just one block away from where they were arrested last week.
The group, called “Occupy Tally,” has secured a permit to rally outside the Leon County courthouse. This comes after they were arrested and charged with trespassing on City Hall property last Monday for demonstrating there after dark.
At a press conference Monday, organizers said they want to shift the focus away from the arrests and toward their mission.
County Commissioner Rick Minor attended the press conference, saying he wants protesters’ voices to be heard.
“People’s rights are being infringed,” Minor said. “Reproductive freedom should be a right, and we need to fight for that.”
Protesters plan to camp outside the courthouse every night for the rest of the week. They’ve brought blankets, sleeping bags and even portable bathrooms.
“Our bodies are already on the line with this legislation,” said Occupy Tally organizer Kat Duesterhaus. “So, you know, a couple extra nights out in the cold and a little bit more suffering publicly is nothing to us, compared to what we’re facing.”
Organizers expect former gubernatorial candidate Nikki Fried and state senator Lauren Book to join protesters in a press conference Wednesday. The two were among 11 protesters arrested at City Hall last Monday.
The House is expected to discuss the abortion ban bill this week. The Senate already passed it last week, so if it makes it through the House, it will head straight to DeSantis’s desk.
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