FSU student activist arrested during rally against white supremacy

Tallahassee, FL – On Thursday, April 24, Tallahassee Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) organized a rally demanding the FSU administration stop allowing manifestations of white supremacy on campus.

The protest was called in response to a mass shooting by a white supremacist on April 17 that resulted in the deaths of Robert Morales and Tiru Chabba, as well as the injury of six others. As confirmed by former classmates, the shooter frequently spewed white supremacist rhetoric both in class and in extracurricular clubs.

SDS convened at the Legacy Fountain on Landis Green and marched to the Westcott building, where the administration offices are located. The demands of students were clear throughout the protest. SDS demands that the FSU admin make a public commitment to never allowing a white supremacist speaking event to occur on campus ever again. SDS demands that the FSU administration work with identity-based student union groups, such as the Black Student Union, Pride Student Union, and others to develop comprehensive student conduct policies targeting hate speech. Using those new policies, SDS demands that FSU act against students who engage in racist and bigoted harassment of other students.

About 30 students and supporters rallied at the Westcott building. This event hosted speakers from a variety of organizations including the Tallahassee Immigrants’ Rights Alliance (TIRA), the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Food Not Bombs, and Graduate Assistants United (GAU).

Towards the end of the protest, Lain Dorsey, head of communications with the SDS chapter, turned on a microphone with a hidden speaker and pointed it toward the admin building. She then started chanting, “Prevent another tragedy! Smash white supremacy!” One FSU police officer gave Dorsey a trespass warning for using amplified sound, but she ignored it. A swarm of police descended upon Dorsey, arresting her as she chanted, “Robert Morales and Tiru Chabba! Say their names!” The rally continued for about ten minutes, as protesters chanted in anger at FSUPD and admin.

Protesters left campus to gather at the Leon County Jail and demand Dorsey’s immediate release. JJ Glueck, co-chair of communications for SDS, stated “Lain was arrested for honoring the lives that were lost to tragedy, but people who are hateful like Charlie Kirk are allowed not only amplified sound but uplifted by FSU. It’s just a double standard that shows where FSU‘s priorities are; their priorities are with repressing progressive students while they protect racist white supremacists and IDF soldiers.”

After about five hours, Dorsey was released on $500 bail, to an awaiting crowd of 20 supporters. She rejoined her fellow activists to chants of “Shame on FSUPD! Now Lain is free!”

Following the release, Dorsey stated, “We have been demanding for years now that FSU stop allowing white supremacists like Charlie Kirk to come to our campus. Last week, one of the white supremacists who supports Kirk murdered members of our community. Loudly declaring our anger with admin’s complicity, was the right thing to do. It was the only thing to do to honor those we lost.”

Tally SDS will hold a press conference on April 25 to condemn FSUPD and FSU admin for the arrest of Lain Dorsey and continue their demands for action to be taken against white supremacists on campus. The press conference will be held outside of Common Ground Books (1102 S Adams Street) at 2 p.m.

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