As cities across the United States brace for potential violence tied to the upcoming “No Kings” anti-Trump protests, Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey delivered an unflinching message to would-be rioters: Law enforcement in Florida will not tolerate violence — and any assault on officers may be met with deadly force.
In a statement released Thursday, Ivey outlined the county’s zero-tolerance policy in the face of escalating unrest tied to recent anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles and New York.
“I’m gonna break it down for you, alright, and if somebody wants to know what I mean by turn violent,” Ivey said. “This is what I mean. If you resist lawful orders, you’re going to jail. Let me be very clear about that. If you block an intersection or a roadway in Brevard County, you are going to jail. If you flee arrest, you’re gonna go to jail tired because we are going to run you down and put you in jail. If you try to mob rule a car in Brevard County, gathering around it, refusing to let the driver leave in our county, you’re gonna get run over and dragged across the street.”
“If you spit on us, you are going to the hospital and then to jail. If you hit one of us, you’re going to the hospital and jail and likely will get bitten by one of our big, beautiful dogs we have here. If you throw a brick, a firebomb, or point a gun at one of our deputies, we will be notifying your family where to collect your remains at. Because we will kill you, graveyard dead,” Ivey continued. “We’re not going to play.”
The remarks, which quickly went viral online, were issued ahead of the planned “No Kings” nationwide protests set for Saturday, which organizers describe as a “day of defiance” against what they call the Trump administration’s authoritarianism. The movement, inspired by opposition to recent ICE raids and broader immigration enforcement efforts, has sparked concern among law enforcement agencies from coast to coast.
Florida officials have responded forcefully to the threat of spillover violence. Sheriff Ivey, known for his blunt law-and-order approach, emphasized that Brevard County deputies would act decisively against any form of criminal activity.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and other state officials have similarly backed tough measures in response to unrest. While the state has not seen the same level of violence as California or New York, law enforcement agencies are on high alert as Saturday’s protests approach.
In Los Angeles, rioters threw Molotov cocktails, attacked ICE agents, and vandalized federal buildings following a wave of immigration enforcement operations that resulted in the arrest of more than 100 illegal immigrants — many with prior felony convictions.
One Mexican national, Emiliano Garduno-Galvez, is now facing murder charges after allegedly throwing an incendiary device that fatally wounded an ICE contractor in downtown L.A., the Department of Homeland Security confirmed Tuesday.
In another incident, Customs and Border Protection agents were ambushed with rocks as they exited a facility in Paramount, California. One agent was injured when a projectile shattered a vehicle’s windshield.
President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of at least 2,000 National Guard troops and 700 U.S. Marines to restore order in Los Angeles. The move was immediately challenged by California officials, but a federal judge denied the state’s emergency bid to block the deployments earlier this week.
While the situation in Los Angeles has somewhat stabilized, authorities are bracing for nationwide escalation on Saturday.
The “No Kings” movement has gained momentum among far-left groups, calling for “the rejection of all authoritarian systems” and portraying Trump’s immigration crackdown as the tip of a broader colonial and oppressive state structure. Critics argue the group is encouraging violent resistance and stoking chaos under the guise of activism.
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We in Florida are locked and loaded. NO ARRESTS. NO PRISONERS. BLACK BAGS.
Love being a Floridian.
The rest of the country can learn a lesson.
Wish I lived in Florida…