Investigate the Assault of Ben Braver at the Lakeland Rally

To: Sen. Van Hollen, Rep. Elfreth, Sen. Alsobrooks

From: A verified voter in Arnold, MD

October 5

A Lakeland police officer threw Florida House candidate Ben Braver to the pavement at a political rally for doing nothing more than speaking his mind. Video shows he was complying. He was then charged with trespassing and resisting arrest without violence. That officer needs to face accountability, and I want you to call for a full independent investigation into this incident now. The First Amendment is not a suggestion. It is the foundation this country was built on, and what generations of Americans fought to protect. When a citizen can be slammed to the ground for voicing a political opinion at a public event, that is not law enforcement — that is intimidation. If we allow this to stand without consequence, we are telling every Floridian that dissent comes with a physical price. That is not the state I live in. Hold this officer accountable and make clear that political speech in Florida is still protected.

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