FLORIDA — Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke at the University of Florida on Wednesday, touting Florida’s efforts to maintain law and order as pro-Palestinian protests have spurred across the country in recent weeks and caused chaos on college campuses.

“In Florida, we prioritize order and student safety on campus,” DeSantis said. “While other states allowed their college campuses to be vandalized and taken over by antisemitic agitators, Florida held the line.”

State leaders made it clear that if protesters break the law, they are no longer a protester, but a criminal instead.

While protests continue at UF and at other universities across the country, incidents like harassment or camping out have led to roughly 40 arrests in Florida so far.

DeSantis praised the school’s quick actions to disband encampments made by protesters, calling it the “Encampment-Free University of Florida” and saying “you do not have a right to commandeer property.”

Some arrested students are facing year-long bans from the campus, while others are being banned from attending their graduation.

“I think there are great days ahead not just for this university but throughout the state of Florida,” DeSantis said. “But we’re going to do it right. We’re going to be focusing on academic rigor. We’re going to be focusing on the pursuit of truth. We will not let the inmates run the asylum in the Sunshine State.”

During the news conference, DeSantis also announced further support for student safety funding, including:

  • $569 million for K-12 school safety funding

  • $20 million to protect Jewish Day Schools

  • $20 million to protect Florida’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)

According to the governor’s office, DeSantis will approve that funding when he signs the Focus on Florida’s Future budget for 2024-2025.

This week, DeSantis also signed House Bill 1473, which improves school safety across the state:

  • Requires classroom doors and gates to be locked at all times;

  • Streamlines the process for former law enforcement officers to become school guardians;

  • Mandates instruction to students on using the Fortify Florida tool, which is the state’s anonymous tip reporting tool; and

  • Prohibits the operation of a drone over a school campus or Jewish Day School.

U.S. News & World Report has ranked Florida as No. 1 in the country for education for the second year in a row, and No. 1 in the country for higher education for the eighth year in a row.