Protesters disrupt Rick Scott speech in Sarasota

Rick Scott speaks at Republican Party of Sarasota event.

On Saturday, protesters of Gov. Rick Scott disrupted a political speech multiple times, as the U.S. Senate candidate spoke to grassroots supporters in Sarasota.

Individuals with Freedom Fellows, a coalition of left-leaning groups, made their way into the Republican Party of Sarasota’s Primary Election Grassroots Straw Poll event.

“It’s always disappointing when people want to disrupt the process,” said Joe Gruters, chairman of the Republican Party of Sarasota.

Brian Ellis, a Sarasota progressive activist and one of the individuals escorted out of Robarts Arena by police, said the protesters wanted to call out Scott for accepting financial support from a private prison company.

“We want to draw attention to The GEO Group,” Ellis said after leaving the building.

The Boca Raton-based prison company has been supportive of Scott’s bid for Senate. The Tampa Bay Times reported last week that GEO Acquisitions II, a subsidiary of the company, donated $125,000 to Scott’s Super PAC.

That’s on top of the $78,600 in contributions from GEO Group CEO George Zoley and his wife Donna to the Rick Scott Victory Fund, as reported last week.

Dream Defenders, part of the coalition breaking up the Scott event today, issued a press release after the event noting connections between The GEO Group and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, an agency that came under fire last month because of a now-halted child separation policy.

“Rick Scott’s cozy and public relationship with the GEO Group should be an embarrassment to him,” said Dream Defenders activist Chardonnay Singleton, the second demonstrator to interrupt Scott. “They’ve been given state and federal contracts to lock people up at the border and in communities all over the country and Rick Scott is swimming in their money.”

The Sarasota straw poll event, billed as the most important event in Republican politics in Florida this weekend, included speeches by every major GOP candidate for statewide office. Appearances included gubernatorial candidates Adam Putnam and Ron DeSantis.

Protesters, though, waited until Scott’s speech to make waves. The governor held the last speaking spot of the day. Scott is the lead Republican candidate challenging Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in his re-election bid this year.

From the podium, Scott said he was unimpressed with the antics.

“So we have 1,000 people here, but they’ve got four,” he said. “I think we’re going to do well.”

He used the opportunity to ding Democrats for going negative in the Senate race. “I’m running against a guy who has been there since Richard Nixon was president and he has absolutely nothing to run on,” Scott said of Nelson, who is seeking a fourth term in the Senate and previously served in the House.

“The only thing he can do is be Mr. Negative.”

When a protester unveiled a homemade banner critiquing Scott, an event attendee walked over and tore the sign from his hands before police escorted him away.

Other protesters soon started shouted from other parts of the arena and from bleachers around the main stage. Dream Defenders protesters stood on tables and shouted “You’re a liar,” at Scott during his speech.

While protesters were taken away, Gruters and Scott at times led cheers of “U.S.A.”

Gruters also led cheers of Scott’s name.