CAIR Florida Protests Tallahassee Over "Terrorist Organization" Designation

CAIR Florida's Advocacy Day in Tallahassee

• ✊ Members of the Council on American-Islamic Relations-Florida (CAIR) held their annual advocacy day in Tallahassee.
• 🗣️ They chanted, “Faith is a right, not a threat,” and met with elected officials.

Increased Security and Attorney General's Warning

• 🚨 Law enforcement presence was visibly increased at the Florida capital.
• ⚠️ This heightened security followed a warning from Attorney General James Omeer about potential threats tied to CAIR's advocacy day.
• 🚫 The AG labeled CAIR a foreign terrorist organization under state law.

CAIR's Response to Designation

• ⚖️ CAIR organizers stated their event was peaceful, lawful, and a longstanding tradition.
• 😠 They found the Attorney General's request for a police presence and his phrasing from a security perspective to be offensive to their community.
• 📜 The group urged the defeat of bills they believe threaten the First Amendment and called for state leaders to tone down rhetoric.

Governor DeSantis's Executive Order

• 🏛️ The tension stems from Governor Ron DeSantis's executive order in December formally designating CAIR as a terrorist organization.
• 🔗 The order cited CAIR's past ties to individuals convicted in terrorism financing cases, including its status as an unindicted co-conspirator in the 2008 Holyland Foundation trial.
• ⚖️ CAIR has filed a legal challenge seeking an injunction against the state's designation.