Florida Mass Meeting To Raise Alarm on Gov. DeSantis’s Attacks on Florida’s Poor

Contact: Steph Derstine, steph.derstine@berlinrosen.com, 512-820-7903

Phoebe Rogers, phoebe.rogers@berlinrosen.com 

*MEDIA ADVISORY FOR: May 25, 2023*

Bishop Barber, Repairers of the Breach, Florida Poor People’s Campaign, Faith Leaders to Hold Mass Meeting, Raise Alarm on Gov. DeSantis’s Attacks on Florida’s Poor

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Faith and moral leaders, impacted people, advocates and Floridians to denounce DeSantis, extremist legislators who have kept 47% of Floridians in a cycle of poverty, the 4th leading cause of death nationwide

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Mass meeting comes on the heels of DeSantis’s expected announcement of presidential run 

Orlando, Florida - Bishop William J. Barber II, Repairers of the Breach, and Florida Poor People’s Campaign will join with impacted people and hundreds of interracial, interfaith clergy members at a mass meeting Thursday to call out Gov. Ron DeSantis for deceiving the public about the policy violence he’s inflicted on people across Florida, including the state’s most poor. 

Participants will also highlight recent local extremist attempts to block the right to protest without an elected official present, and shed light on the ways in which these tactics are meant to silence those most impacted by the death-by-poverty campaign being waged by politicians seeking to silence those demanding fair voting access, bodily autonomy, access to healthcare, fair wages, freedom from persecution, public education, and more.

“DeSantis may want the attention he’s getting from attacking ‘woke’ culture, but those of us who know the harm that DeSantis’ policy violence has inflicted on everyday people across Florida should not let his tactics deflect from what’s happening,” said Bishop William J. Barber II.  “The truth is DeSantis is weaponizing racism to hide behind his dangerous policies – one that only further the cycle of poverty statewide, harming Floridians of all races.”

EVENT DETAILS

WHAT: Bishop Barber, Repairers of the Breach, local faith leaders, Florida Poor People’s Campaign to hold a mass rally, denounce the legislative assault on the state’s poor. 

WHO:  Bishop William J. Barber II, President, Repairers of the Breach, Clergy members from across the country, Impacted people from across the country and Florida Poor People’s Campaign leaders 

WHEN: Thursday, May 25, 6:30 pm EDT

WHERE: Carter Tabernacle CME Church

1 South Cottage Hill Rd. 

Orlando, FL 32805

A recent study from the University of California-Riverside found that poverty is the 4th leading cause of death nationwide. Close to 700 Americans die daily from poverty and 300,000 died during the pandemic due to lack of health care. What’s more, 47% of Floridians of all races qualify as poor or low-income. Since 1979, income for the top 1% of Floridians has nearly doubled. For the other 99%, real income has decreased over the same four decades. 

*For questions or to coordinate interviews, please email steph.derstine@berlinrosen.com*

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