GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Protestors at the University of Florida and University of South Florida were arrested on Monday, according to university officials.

UF officials said that nine people were arrested by the university’s police department and the Florida Highway Patrol.

According to the university, charges included failure to obey a lawful command, resisting without violence to trespass after warning. One was allegedly charged with battery after spitting on an officer.

In a release, UF spokesman Steve Orlando announced the arrests, saying that the university had provided ample warnings last week regarding “prohibited activities.”

“This is not complicated: The University of Florida is not a daycare, and we do not treat protesters like children — they knew the rules, they broke the rules, and they’ll face the consequences. For many days, we have patiently told protesters — many of whom are outside agitators — that they were able to exercise their right to free speech and free assembly. And we also told them that clearly prohibited activities would result in a trespassing order from UPD (barring them from all university properties for three years) and an interim suspension from the university. For days UPD patiently and consistently reiterated the rules. Today, individuals who refused to comply were arrested after UPD gave multiple warnings and multiple opportunities to comply.”

UF spokesman Steve Orlando

During its previous warning, UF stated that the following items and activities were prohibited on campus while demonstrating:

Students found violating these rules could face a three-year suspension, and employees doing so could face termination, UF officials said.

Meanwhile, three people were arrested during a pro-Palestine protest at USF’s campus, according to CBS affiliate WTSP.

WTSP reports USF staff tried to move the protest ahead of time. USF officials provided the following statement:

“The University of South Florida values the right to free speech and protecting the constitutional right for individuals and groups on campus to express themselves. This includes peaceful protests and demonstrations that occur regularly on USF’s three campuses without incident and are part of the public discourse of a university. However, the expression of free speech must remain peaceful and not violate the law or USF policies. The university has been clear that violence, threats, harassment and disruptions will not be tolerated.

At 12 p.m. on Monday, April 29, a student organization, the Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), attempted to hold a protest outside of the library on the USF Tampa campus. The group was placed on interim suspension last week after causing a disruption on campus. Suspended student organizations are not permitted to host events and activities, which the group was made aware of several times prior to today’s protest, including another reminder this morning.

When the student organization attempted to hold a protest anyway, university staff informed them that they were not authorized to continue.”

USF spokesperson

When the students were asked to leave the library, they moved to the other side of the street, with dozens of protestors chanting “ceasefire now” at MLK Plaza, according to WTSP.

While opposing groups reportedly showed up to the protest holding Israeli flags — sparking tension between protestors — no information was provided on who was arrested or whether any students face expulsion.

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TAMPA, Fla. – Florida’s farmworkers are expressing concern over the recent approval of a law banning local jurisdictions from requiring mandatory heat and water breaks for outdoor workers. 

READ: DeSantis signs bill banning Florida counties from requiring heat and water breaks for outdoor workers

HB 433 prohibits Florida cities and counties from establishing any protections for outdoor workers. That includes mandatory water breaks.

It’s no secret that outdoor workers, particularly farmworkers, are important to the Sunshine State, especially with so much of the state’s economy hinging on agriculture. 

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That’s why many of those workers and their supporters took to the streets in Homestead on Sunday to march against House Bill 433. 

One of the groups leading the charge was WeCount!, an organization in South Florida made up of farm, plant nursery, and construction workers. 

“For counties and cities to basically be handcuffed and be unable to implement basic protections is incredibly cruel,” said Esteban Wood, policy director of WeCount! “And it’s incredibly dangerous as a public policy issue.”

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“With this law HB 433, our hands are completely tied; our community already has many rights violations in this type of work, [and] there are already many fears, and because of this law passed – the anti-immigrant law – people are afraid to speak,” said Yesica Ramirez, of the Farmworker Association of Florida. 

Miami-Dade County was set to be the first in Florida to pass these types of protections. Their ordinance would have required employers to establish things like mandatory shade requirements, water accessibility, and – depending on the heat – ten-minute breaks for every two hours of work. 

But that ordinance is now abandoned because all of those protections would have been in direct violation of HB 33. Governor DeSantis signed the bill earlier this month, and it is set to take effect on July 1.