Kelly Hayes
A video has been circulating across social media platforms showcasing a confrontation between several protestors and a couple at a restaurant in St. Petersburg — and candidate Anna Paulina Luna for Florida’s 13th Congressional District has been quick to share it, despite a night of overall peaceful protests.
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office and the St. Petersburg Police Department made no arrests between Wednesday and Thursday involving the protestors.
The protests in Pinellas County Wednesday night followed a Kentucky grand jury’s decision in the Breonna Taylor case that did not yield any criminal charges.
“This is my home and district…a ‘protestor’ calls the woman an ‘ugly a** white woman’ after harassing this couple at dinner…NOT peaceful protest. This is harassment and not who we are as a nation. I condemn this as well as the racial commentary,” Luna tweeted along with the video of the incident.
https://twitter.com/realannapaulina/status/1308952077406699520?s=20
According to the St. Pete Police Department, the department did receive a couple of calls from Beach Drive, where the restaurant is located, but the complainants did not want to file a police report, rather just make the department aware. In those types of situations on private property, it’s up to the owner or management of the business to ask police to trespass someone from their property, the public information officer said.
Also, if someone feels personally threatened or their property was damaged, they need to call police and file a report to an officer, the public information officer added.
Read my statement below on the protests and civil unrest following the Kentucky grand jury’s decision in the Breonna Taylor case.https://t.co/5smO9bCkys pic.twitter.com/pqk9ysY0iO
— Congressman Charlie Crist (@RepCharlieCrist) September 24, 2020
Congressman Charlie Crist issued a statement, saying Taylor’s family did not get the justice they deserve, and supporting peaceful protests. He also condemned violence.
“Peaceful protesting is a constitutional right that has powered the civil rights movements throughout our history, playing a critical role in the achievement of many of the liberties we enjoy today,” Crist said. “But violence or harassment of anyone is not a right. It only serves to further polarize our nation and distract from and slow the progress peaceful protestors are making. We are tackling some of the hardest and most pressing issues we have ever faced as a country, and we can only solve them together.”
Despite Crist’s statement, Luna called out the representative via Twitter, and in a statement from her campaign.
“I am saddened by and sorry for the tragic loss of Breonna Taylor’s life. I’m concerned over the lack of trust between law enforcement and communities across the country,” Luna said in a statement. “It is disturbing to see so many politicians afraid to stand up for people’s safety. Charlie Crist should be ashamed of himself for his silence. But, sadly, Charlie Crist is well-versed in avoiding controversy. He’s a typical career politician.”
https://twitter.com/realannapaulina/status/1309127880803311617
17 comments
Sonja Fitch
September 24, 2020 at 3:49 pm
Luna you are over the moon with your exaggerated distractions! Vote Blue ! Vote Democrat up and down ballot!
Maria
September 24, 2020 at 11:43 pm
Did you Not see the video? And all of the other attacks on people just sitting not bothering anyone else? People have a Right to sit in peace anywhere without being assaulted and called horrible names. This is supposed to be a civil society and if you see this as an over exaggeration well then I question what your parents taught you as a child. Smh
LocalStPete
September 25, 2020 at 9:22 am
The kid who sat at the table in this video was also in another video the same night blocking traffic and jumping on the roof of a car with his skateboard, while other protesters battled with the car passing.
Joe Gai
September 25, 2020 at 6:50 pm
Florida Politics has a skewed idea of peaceful protesting.
Purposely antagonizing people peacefully eating dinner is the opposite of peaceful.
jon
September 24, 2020 at 4:04 pm
Crist should be impeached from office! He is clearly dog whistle the rioters to continue their disruption of cities! The Taylor case was a miscarriage of justice! The one police officer should not of bean charged with a crime. The media created this mess by fabricating everything about this story from it being a no knock warrant (it was a knock warrant). To the officers shot first, and shot Brianna in her bed! The media id culpable and should be sued! Thank goodness our fantastic governor came out today and addressed this nonsense with a bunch of new laws that will stop these retards!
Jim Wilson
September 24, 2020 at 5:43 pm
Interesting how those who “condemn violence” always make that point only in the last part of their statements, as if an obligatory after-thought rather than a true indignity. So, the article states that in fact the St. Pete police DID receive complaints as Luna pointed out, but the police of course didn’t respond because nowadays they’re afraid to. On July 9 the spineless City of St. Pete announced that the SPPD will have its budget reduced by nearly $7 million that instead will go to a civilian “Community Assistance Liaison.” In other words, it’s not going to be safe to go to St. Pete anymore.
Josh
September 25, 2020 at 5:41 am
You do understand that it was your peers that decided that the cops should not be charged with any crimes. The grand jury is a bunch of people like ourself’s and given the evidence to decide what to do. So your peotesting the cops is not what you are doing; infact, you are protesting your own because “we the people” have made the judgment on that, the government just saw “us” decide.
Kenneth Kueker
September 24, 2020 at 5:48 pm
Such a vague reply is not good enough considering constituents in HIS district were harassed and the protesters could have been charged with one or more crimes if the couple or the restaurant wanted to press the issue.
Jim Donelon
September 24, 2020 at 6:01 pm
It appears that Luna is just like her hero – the IDIOT in the White House – at telling big lies.
Maria
September 24, 2020 at 11:45 pm
Did you Not see the video? And all of the other attacks on people just sitting not bothering anyone else? People have a Right to sit in peace anywhere without being assaulted and called horrible names. This is supposed to be a civil society and if you see this as an over exaggeration well then I question what your parents taught you as a child. Smh
Maris Smith
September 24, 2020 at 11:49 pm
So you really think their behavior was acceptable? Would you be ok with your parents or your children being treated like that?
STEVE
September 25, 2020 at 6:54 am
MORE PEOPLE WILL CARRY GUNS NOW IN fLORIDA
Travis
September 25, 2020 at 4:05 pm
LOL, we all carry guns in FL. I think these were tourists.
Maris Smith
September 24, 2020 at 11:46 pm
Did you Not see the video? And all of the other attacks on people just sitting not bothering anyone else? People have a Right to sit in peace anywhere without being assaulted and called horrible names. This is supposed to be a civil society and if you see this as an over exaggeration well then I question what your parents taught you as a child. Smh
Biden Wins Easily
September 25, 2020 at 7:02 am
I can see the trumptards are on here crying as usual. I’ve never seen a group of people who whine more than they do.
Ruggles James
September 25, 2020 at 8:25 am
The Tampa Bay Times reports the police action as a “ No Knock Warrant” which is not the finding of the Grand Jury. Evidence presented included witnesses and audio of police announcing themselves before entering and being confronted by gunfire, wounding one officer before A fire fight ensued between police and Breonna’s boyfriend resulting in her death. The boyfriend should be charged with felony murder due to her death resulting from his felonious assault on police officers.
LocalStPete
September 25, 2020 at 9:20 am
So basically, the post Parkshore Grill posted to their facebook was all lip service about caring for customers who eat at their establishment? Article: “In those types of situations on private property, it’s up to the owner or management of the business to ask police to trespass someone from their property, the public information officer said.” — The restaurant should have filed an actual police report. They should have asked the people to leave or give more space.
Also, there is a pandemic – so aside from protesting, the restaurant should have enforced social distancing on their property. When kids are blowing actual horns of air at customers standing next to their eating tables – couldn’t Parkshore Grill be held liable for not asking them to leave if/when a customer later tests positive for COVID-19????
The lack of details related to the actual establishment is disappointing. This is the fourth article I’ve read that’s reporting Parkshore Grill is private property, inferring that they somehow took precedent over the actual customer in regards to how police handled (or didn’t handle, I should say) the situation. Has there been any reaction from the couple regarding how Parkshore Grill reacted?
Please report more on the actual establishment. People would like to know how they specifically addressed the issue beyond the facebook post they published – how it was addressed with the customer and the police. Does any reporter have copies of the actual reported calls? The story is worth of more details so customers have better context of what the hell happened and why police allowed it to occur.
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