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Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
DeSantis says protesters on roadways can be run over by drivers. Is that true?
The thousands of Floridians expected to march in the No Kings National Day of Defiance on Saturday had better be on their best behavior, warned Florida's governor. Gov. Ron DeSantis said that drivers will not be at fault if they hit protesters that block roadways in a clip that took social media by storm. Interviewed on a Reuben Report podcast episode released Wednesday, he said 'you have a right to defend yourself in Florida.' 'You have a right to flee for your safety, and so if you drive off and you hit one of these people, that's their fault for impinging on you,' DeSantis said. 'You don't have to sit there and just be a sitting duck and let the mob grab you out of your car and drag you through the streets.' Under Florida's relatively new anti-riot law, he's not completely wrong, legal experts say. One of the main concerns of elected leaders who unsuccessfully fought the anti-riot bill four years ago is the bill, they say, is too vague. 'I'm worried about its ambiguity,' said Democratic Florida State Sen. Shevrin Jones, who represents Miami Gardens and other sections of North Miami-Dade. 'Can an individual who is just standing there and something breaks out be arrested? Is an individual able to run over a protester?' Though concerns still exist, some of the key components of the bill were muted by the courts after being challenged by the ACLU of Florida, the Community Justice Project and other First Amendment rights groups. Florida's Supreme Court essentially shut down the state from labeling peaceful protesters as rioters, which would have allowed for a plethora of criminal charges. (A federal appellate court later ruled peaceful protesters could face criminal charges if their protests turn violent.) As for Jones' concern about drivers being able to legally mow down protesters, that's not the case, said Alana Greer, director of the Community Justice Project. What the Legislature did was enable a driver who hits someone during a riot to basically claim Stand Your Ground in a civil lawsuit only. And, Greer said, so far the ACLU and the Community Justice Project are not aware of anyone who's been charged under the state's anti-riot bill, known formally as the 'Combating Public Disorder Act.' 'HB 1's [the bill's] goal was to chill everyday Floridians desire to go out and protest,' said Greer. 'The reality is the Constitution still protects our ability to go out and protest.' The law does allow a person to be cited for a pedestrian violation if they 'willfully obstruct the free, convenient, and normal use of a public street, highway or road.' For instance, if a person stands or remains on a street, highway or roadway, they would be in violation of a section in state laws that would subject them to a $15 traffic citation. U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, the Democrat who represents northern Miami-Dade and southern Broward, said the bill has caused her enough angst to alter directions to her constituents on how to react if they spot agitators Saturday. Wilson said she's concerned members of the far-right militia group the Proud Boys might infiltrate the crowds in Florida. She initially told people not to run or cause a ruckus, but to immediately sit down and remain silent. But concerned over the law's section that mentions motor vehicles, she is now telling them to make their way to the nearest sidewalk before sitting down silently. 'Be very, very careful,' the congresswoman said. The law was created in the wake of the thousands of Black Lives Matter protests that rocked the country in the summer of 2020 following the death of a Minneapolis security guard named George Floyd. The intensity of those marches and the tens of millions of people who took part so unnerved conservative legislatures across the country that several states passed bills expanding police powers and increasing penalties on wayward marchers. The controversial Florida bill boosted penalties for anyone taking part in a violent public disturbance and gave law enforcement more leeway in dealing with violent protesters. The bill also allows people to sue local governments for damages caused during a riot or unlawful assembly, creates new crimes that include mob intimidation and inciting a riot and can land a person in prison for up to 15 years for tearing down a memorial dedicated to a historical figure. The Saturday marches are scheduled to take place in 2,000 cities across the country, including about 75 throughout Florida. Locally, they're planned for Miami's Torch of Friendship, Pride Park in Miami Beach, North Young Circle in Hollywood and two spots in Fort Lauderdale: A1A and Sunrise Boulevard and 335 SE Sixth Ave., in addition to Key Largo, Marathon and Key West in the Keys. READ MORE: 'No Kings' anti-Trump protests planned across South Florida amid LA unrest. See where They protests are in response to the federal crackdown of protesters in Los Angeles, who were marching in response to the nation's new stringent immigration policies. The No Kings march is also planned to coincide with President Trump's military parade and birthday celebration in Washington on Saturday. Trump has said protesters were not welcome and would receive 'very heavy force' if they show up. Earlier this week in Jacksonville, DeSantis said law enforcement around the state is ready to act and warned protesters they'd be arrested if they blocked streets or destroyed property. He said peaceful protesting was fine, but alerted people not to 'cross the line.' 'We're not going to just sit idly by and let the inmates run the asylum,' he said. The closest South Florida has come to the expected crowds this weekend was probably during the summer of 2021, when thousands of people took to the streets during the 'Patria y Vida' marches. Protesters marched in unison with the hundreds of Cubans who had been arrested, beaten up and censored for protesting openly on the island. Those marches took place three months after the state passed its anti-riot act, which clearly states that someone will be cited for a pedestrian violation if they 'willfully obstruct the free, convenient, and normal use of a public street, highway or road.' Police, that day, gave marchers a break. Despite thousands of people clogging main arteries on Coral Way and even closing down a section of the the Palmetto Expressway, there were no arrests under the new law. READ MORE: Is Cuban-Americans' highway protest in Miami breaking Florida's new anti-riot law? Floyd was 46 when he was killed gasping for breath under the knee of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who would later be convicted of unintentional murder and manslaughter. A teenager named Darnella Frazier could not have foreseen at the time how the decision to train her cellphone video recorder on Chauvin and Floyd for those ill-fated nine minutes would reverberate through law enforcement circles. Five years later, that chilling scene could have a direct result on the interactions between police and protesters on South Florida's streets. Still, the No Kings march is an event that representatives Jones and Wilson say is needed now more than ever — anti-riot bill, or not. 'I'm encouraging people to express discontent and express their First Amendment rights to march and protest,' Wilson said. 'But I'm also telling them to be careful.' Said Jones: 'This absolutely needs to be done. You have a president that has gone rogue. A president who doesn't believe in the letter of the law. Democracy is not a spectator sport. And these are not radical people. These are patriots.' Miami Herald writer Siena Duncan contributed to this report.
Miami Herald
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
DeSantis says protesters on roadways can be run over by drivers. Is that true?
The thousands of Floridians expected to march in the No Kings National Day of Defiance on Saturday had better be on their best behavior, warned Florida's governor. Gov. Ron DeSantis said that drivers will not be at fault if they hit protesters that block roadways in a clip that took social media by storm. Interviewed on a Reuben Report podcast episode released Wednesday, he said 'you have a right to defend yourself in Florida.' 'You have a right to flee for your safety, and so if you drive off and you hit one of these people, that's their fault for impinging on you,' DeSantis said. 'You don't have to sit there and just be a sitting duck and let the mob grab you out of your car and drag you through the streets.' Under Florida's relatively new anti-riot law, he's not completely wrong, legal experts say. One of the main concerns of elected leaders who unsuccessfully fought the anti-riot bill four years ago is the bill, they say, is too vague. 'I'm worried about its ambiguity,' said Democratic Florida State Sen. Shevrin Jones, who represents Miami Gardens and other sections of North Miami-Dade. 'Can an individual who is just standing there and something breaks out be arrested? Is an individual able to run over a protester?' Though concerns still exist, some of the key components of the bill were muted by the courts after being challenged by the ACLU of Florida, the Community Justice Project and other First Amendment rights groups. Florida's Supreme Court essentially shut down the state from labeling peaceful protesters as rioters, which would have allowed for a plethora of criminal charges. (A federal appellate court later ruled peaceful protesters could face criminal charges if their protests turn violent.) As for Jones' concern about drivers being able to legally mow down protesters, that's not the case, said Alana Greer, director of the Community Justice Project. What the Legislature did was enable a driver who hits someone during a riot to basically claim Stand Your Ground in a civil lawsuit only. And, Greer said, so far the ACLU and the Community Justice Project are not aware of anyone who's been charged under the state's anti-riot bill, known formally as the 'Combating Public Disorder Act.' 'HB 1's [the bill's] goal was to chill everyday Floridians desire to go out and protest,' said Greer. 'The reality is the Constitution still protects our ability to go out and protest.' The law does allow a person to be cited for a pedestrian violation if they 'willfully obstruct the free, convenient, and normal use of a public street, highway or road.' For instance, if a person stands or remains on a street, highway or roadway, they would be in violation of a section in state laws that would subject them to a $15 traffic citation. U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, the Democrat who represents northern Miami-Dade and southern Broward, said the bill has caused her enough angst to alter directions to her constituents on how to react if they spot agitators Saturday. Wilson said she's concerned members of the far-right militia group the Proud Boys might infiltrate the crowds in Florida. She initially told people not to run or cause a ruckus, but to immediately sit down and remain silent. But concerned over the law's section that mentions motor vehicles, she is now telling them to make their way to the nearest sidewalk before sitting down silently. 'Be very, very careful,' the congresswoman said. Controversial law The law was created in the wake of the thousands of Black Lives Matter protests that rocked the country in the summer of 2020 following the death of a Minneapolis security guard named George Floyd. The intensity of those marches and the tens of millions of people who took part so unnerved conservative legislatures across the country that several states passed bills expanding police powers and increasing penalties on wayward marchers. The controversial Florida bill boosted penalties for anyone taking part in a violent public disturbance and gave law enforcement more leeway in dealing with violent protesters. The bill also allows people to sue local governments for damages caused during a riot or unlawful assembly, creates new crimes that include mob intimidation and inciting a riot and can land a person in prison for up to 15 years for tearing down a memorial dedicated to a historical figure. The Saturday marches are scheduled to take place in 2,000 cities across the country, including about 75 throughout Florida. Locally, they're planned for Miami's Torch of Friendship, Pride Park in Miami Beach, North Young Circle in Hollywood and two spots in Fort Lauderdale: A1A and Sunrise Boulevard and 335 SE Sixth Ave., in addition to Key Largo, Marathon and Key West in the Keys. READ MORE: 'No Kings' anti-Trump protests planned across South Florida amid LA unrest. See where They protests are in response to the federal crackdown of protesters in Los Angeles, who were marching in response to the nation's new stringent immigration policies. The No Kings march is also planned to coincide with President Trump's military parade and birthday celebration in Washington on Saturday. Trump has said protesters were not welcome and would receive 'very heavy force' if they show up. Earlier this week in Jacksonville, DeSantis said law enforcement around the state is ready to act and warned protesters they'd be arrested if they blocked streets or destroyed property. He said peaceful protesting was fine, but alerted people not to 'cross the line.' 'We're not going to just sit idly by and let the inmates run the asylum,' he said. No charges filed in 'Patria y Vida' protests The closest South Florida has come to the expected crowds this weekend was probably during the summer of 2021, when thousands of people took to the streets during the 'Patria y Vida' marches. Protesters marched in unison with the hundreds of Cubans who had been arrested, beaten up and censored for protesting openly on the island. Those marches took place three months after the state passed its anti-riot act, which clearly states that someone will be cited for a pedestrian violation if they 'willfully obstruct the free, convenient, and normal use of a public street, highway or road.' Police, that day, gave marchers a break. Despite thousands of people clogging main arteries on Coral Way and even closing down a section of the the Palmetto Expressway, there were no arrests under the new law. READ MORE: Is Cuban-Americans' highway protest in Miami breaking Florida's new anti-riot law? A teen videotapes an ugly confrontation Floyd was 46 when he was killed gasping for breath under the knee of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who would later be convicted of unintentional murder and manslaughter. A teenager named Darnella Frazier could not have foreseen at the time how the decision to train her cellphone video recorder on Chauvin and Floyd for those ill-fated nine minutes would reverberate through law enforcement circles. Five years later, that chilling scene could have a direct result on the interactions between police and protesters on South Florida's streets. Still, the No Kings march is an event that representatives Jones and Wilson say is needed now more than ever — anti-riot bill, or not. 'I'm encouraging people to express discontent and express their First Amendment rights to march and protest,' Wilson said. 'But I'm also telling them to be careful.' Said Jones: 'This absolutely needs to be done. You have a president that has gone rogue. A president who doesn't believe in the letter of the law. Democracy is not a spectator sport. And these are not radical people. These are patriots.' Miami Herald writer Siena Duncan contributed to this report.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Reassessment notices arriving in Schuylkill mailboxes
POTTSVILLE — County residents have started to receive their change of value notices for reassessment. The first batch of notices has been sent, confirmed Tim Barr, project director for Vision Government Solutions, the Massachusetts-based company hired in December 2022 to do a countywide reassessment. 'We want to help people,' he said of any residents who have questions. Residents will have the chance to appeal valuations in July through October. Property owners will have the chance to ask specific, parcel-related questions about data collected during the informal review process. Informal reviews and formal appeal hearings will be held at the former Schuylkill Transportation building at 252 Industrial Park Road in the Saint Clair Industrial Park . Residents can schedule informal reviews by phone by calling 1-800-525-9876 or by visiting the website, Barr, who has been conducting property reassessment work in Pennsylvania for 40 years, said the purpose of reassessment is to ensure tax fairness. 'The whole point of the reassessment is to bring uniformity to this,' he said, adding their will be errors they find in the data, which will be corrected as needed. That means that two homes with similar valuations, as set by the current conditions and market values, should be taxed at the same rates. The reassessment is required as part of the settlement of a lawsuit filed by the Community Justice Project on behalf of Schuylkill County property owners. The nonprofit contends the county's current tax assessments violate state law. The last countywide reassessment was conducted in 1996. In some cases taxes went up, and in others they decreased, he said. Commissioner Larry Padora said he is taking calls from constituents, with some questioning the veracity of the information since their taxes went down. Taxes will not be affected until 2026, when the valuations take effect. The county will mail official change of assessment notices to property owners by July 1.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Miami Beach mayor's plan to evict O Cinema has brought global backlash. Will it pass?
A proposal last week by Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner to terminate O Cinema's lease after the art house theater screened the Oscar-winning documentary 'No Other Land' has been met with fierce backlash, both locally and abroad. On Monday afternoon, Meiner and city commissioners received an open letter from more than 600 members of the 'international filmmaking community,' who called the mayor's effort 'an attack on freedom of expression.' Among the signers were filmmaker and activist Michael Moore, Miami-born 'Moonlight' director Barry Jenkins, and Laura Poitras, who directed the 2015 Oscar-winning documentary 'Citizenfour.' Meanwhile, O Cinema is preparing for possible legal action. The theater is being represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, which has questioned the legality of Meiner's resolution to oust the theater from a city-owned building and strip its grant funding. The theater is also receiving legal counsel from the Miami-based Community Justice Project. But ahead of a City Commission meeting Wednesday where the proposal is on the agenda and expected to draw dozens of speakers, Meiner has shown no signs of backing down. 'No Other Land' documents the destruction of a group of Palestinian villages in the West Bank at the hands of the Israeli military. In a newsletter last Tuesday, Meiner, who is Jewish and a staunch supporter of Israel, announced his proposal to evict the theater after it proceeded with screenings of the film, which he called 'a false one-sided propaganda attack on the Jewish people that is not consistent with the values of our City and residents.' He has not spoken publicly on the matter since. Meiner met Monday morning with representatives of O Cinema, but it doesn't appear that the two sides reached a resolution. ACLU of Florida Legal Director Daniel Tilley said after the meeting that he couldn't talk about the details of settlement negotiations, and a city spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. But hours later, O Cinema announced it would hold a press conference Tuesday 'to discuss the First Amendment concerns' raised by Meiner's proposal. 'Defunding and evicting a local independent cinema under these circumstances would be patently unconstitutional, plain and simple,' Tilley said in a statement. 'If supporters of the resolution truly value freedom, they must also value free speech, which means all speech is protected — not just the speech certain politicians agree with.' The theater signed a five-year lease with the city in 2019 that was renewed last year until July 2026, according to documents reviewed by the Miami Herald. Under the agreement, the city can terminate the lease 'for convenience' with 180 days' notice 'without cause and without liability' to the city. But some legal experts have said the mayor's proposal may run afoul of free speech protections, in part because Meiner has indicated that his resolution was brought in response to the theater's decision to screen 'No Other Land' over his objections. '[N]ormalizing hate and then disseminating antisemitism in a facility owned by the taxpayers of Miami Beach ... is unjust to the values of our city and residents and should not be tolerated,' Meiner wrote in his newsletter last week. 'For this reason, I am introducing legislation to move on from O Cinema, as permitted by our contract, and seek a cultural partner that better aligns with our community values.' Meiner would need support from at least three city commissioners to achieve the majority vote required to pass his resolution. Only one commissioner, David Suarez, has publicly indicated support for Meiner's approach, telling the Herald last week that Miami Beach has 'zero tolerance for pro Hamas/terrorist propaganda,' though Suarez did not explicitly say how he would vote. READ MORE: Miami Beach mayor moves to end O Cinema lease after screening of Israeli-Palestinian film Two commissioners, Kristen Rosen Gonzalez and Tanya Katzoff Bhatt, have raised concerns about the proposal. Rosen Gonzalez said that canceling the theater's lease 'would result in an expensive lawsuit we will lose' and proposed that instead of canceling the showings of 'No Other Land,' the cinema could also show another film, 'Screams Before Silence,' a documentary told through the perspective of Israeli women who were attacked by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. Three other commissioners have provided little or no public indication of their views on the proposal. Commissioners Alex Fernandez and Laura Dominguez declined to comment, and Commissioner Joseph Magazine told the Herald on Friday that he was 'in fact-gathering mode about what the right decision is.' 'I'm really focusing on trying to speak to as many community leaders that I almost know will have differing opinions on this,' Magazine said. 'My goal is always to bring our community together.' Meiner's proposal would terminate O Cinema's lease at the old City Hall building on Washington Avenue in South Beach and immediately cut off future city funding. In recent months, the city agreed to fulfill two grant agreements with O Cinema — one for about $26,000 and one for about $54,000 — and has already paid half of those amounts. In a joint letter to city officials last Friday, the Florida Muslim Bar Association, Palestinian American Bar Association and American Muslim Bar Association said they were 'troubled by the actions being taken to limit the public's access to diverse viewpoints, as well as the cinema's ability to conduct business free from viewpoint-based censorship from the City.' 'The First Amendment of the United States protects freedom of speech and expression,' the groups said. 'This includes the right of filmmakers to produce and exhibit their work, and the right of the public to view it.' READ MORE: Miami Beach mayor urges theater to cancel Oscar-winner he calls 'hateful propaganda' In a March 5 letter, Meiner had urged the theater to cancel scheduled screenings of the film, citing critiques from Israeli and German government officials. O Cinema CEO Vivian Marthell responded the next day that the theater would not show the film based on 'concerns of antisemitic rhetoric.' But Marthell reversed course one day later, a decision that followed conversations with the theater's staff and board of directors, according to Kareem Tabsch, co-founder and chair of the board of directors of O Cinema. 'That was a decision that was made under duress,' Tabsch said of the initial cancellation. 'There was a panic for the future of the organization.' Since deciding to show the film and facing the threat of eviction, Tabsch said O Cinema has received an outpouring of support. 'The filmmaking community has really rallied behind this, because I think ... an attack on one of us is an attack on all of us,' he said. 'We cannot let government become involved in dictating what is permissible or not for arts organizations to present to the public, and we certainly can't allow them to decide what the public should be viewing.' In addition to letter-writing campaigns to elected officials and statements of support from groups like the International Documentary Association, O Cinema has received 'a modest uptick' in donations, Tabsch said. Still, he said, the theater relies heavily on city funding. 'If we are evicted and our funding is cut, we will be homeless,' he said. South Beach is O Cinema's only current location, though the theater announced plans last month to open a new location in Miami's Little River neighborhood in June. This story was produced with financial support from Trish and Dan Bell and from donors comprising the South Florida Jewish and Muslim Communities, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald maintains full editorial control of this work.
Miami Herald
18-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Miami Beach mayor's plan to evict O Cinema has brought global backlash. Will it pass?
A proposal last week by Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner to terminate O Cinema's lease after the art house theater screened the Oscar-winning documentary 'No Other Land' has been met with fierce backlash, both locally and abroad. On Monday afternoon, Meiner and city commissioners received an open letter from more than 600 members of the 'international filmmaking community,' who called the mayor's effort 'an attack on freedom of expression.' Among the signers were filmmaker and activist Michael Moore, Miami-born 'Moonlight' director Barry Jenkins, and Laura Poitras, who directed the 2015 Oscar-winning documentary 'Citizenfour.' Meanwhile, O Cinema is preparing for possible legal action. The theater is being represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, which has questioned the legality of Meiner's resolution to oust the theater from a city-owned building and strip its grant funding. The theater is also receiving legal counsel from the Miami-based Community Justice Project. But ahead of a City Commission meeting Wednesday where the proposal is on the agenda and expected to draw dozens of speakers, Meiner has shown no signs of backing down. 'No Other Land' documents the destruction of a group of Palestinian villages in the West Bank at the hands of the Israeli military. In a newsletter last Tuesday, Meiner, who is Jewish and a staunch supporter of Israel, announced his proposal to evict the theater after it proceeded with screenings of the film, which he called 'a false one-sided propaganda attack on the Jewish people that is not consistent with the values of our City and residents.' He has not spoken publicly on the matter since. Meiner met Monday morning with representatives of O Cinema, but it doesn't appear that the two sides reached a resolution. ACLU of Florida Legal Director Daniel Tilley said after the meeting that he couldn't talk about the details of settlement negotiations, and a city spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. But hours later, O Cinema announced it would hold a press conference Tuesday 'to discuss the First Amendment concerns' raised by Meiner's proposal. 'Defunding and evicting a local independent cinema under these circumstances would be patently unconstitutional, plain and simple,' Tilley said in a statement. 'If supporters of the resolution truly value freedom, they must also value free speech, which means all speech is protected — not just the speech certain politicians agree with.' The theater signed a five-year lease with the city in 2019 that was renewed last year until July 2026, according to documents reviewed by the Miami Herald. Under the agreement, the city can terminate the lease 'for convenience' with 180 days' notice 'without cause and without liability' to the city. But some legal experts have said the mayor's proposal may run afoul of free speech protections, in part because Meiner has indicated that his resolution was brought in response to the theater's decision to screen 'No Other Land' over his objections. '[N]ormalizing hate and then disseminating antisemitism in a facility owned by the taxpayers of Miami Beach ... is unjust to the values of our city and residents and should not be tolerated,' Meiner wrote in his newsletter last week. 'For this reason, I am introducing legislation to move on from O Cinema, as permitted by our contract, and seek a cultural partner that better aligns with our community values.' Meiner would need support from at least three city commissioners to achieve the majority vote required to pass his resolution. Only one commissioner, David Suarez, has publicly indicated support for Meiner's approach, telling the Herald last week that Miami Beach has 'zero tolerance for pro Hamas/terrorist propaganda,' though Suarez did not explicitly say how he would vote. READ MORE: Miami Beach mayor moves to end O Cinema lease after screening of Israeli-Palestinian film Two commissioners, Kristen Rosen Gonzalez and Tanya Katzoff Bhatt, have raised concerns about the proposal. Rosen Gonzalez said that canceling the theater's lease 'would result in an expensive lawsuit we will lose' and proposed that instead of canceling the showings of 'No Other Land,' the cinema could also show another film, 'Screams Before Silence,' a documentary told through the perspective of Israeli women who were attacked by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. Three other commissioners have provided little or no public indication of their views on the proposal. Commissioners Alex Fernandez and Laura Dominguez declined to comment, and Commissioner Joseph Magazine told the Herald on Friday that he was 'in fact-gathering mode about what the right decision is.' 'I'm really focusing on trying to speak to as many community leaders that I almost know will have differing opinions on this,' Magazine said. 'My goal is always to bring our community together.' Meiner's proposal would terminate O Cinema's lease at the old City Hall building on Washington Avenue in South Beach and immediately cut off future city funding. In recent months, the city agreed to fulfill two grant agreements with O Cinema — one for about $26,000 and one for about $54,000 — and has already paid half of those amounts. In a joint letter to city officials last Friday, the Florida Muslim Bar Association, Palestinian American Bar Association and American Muslim Bar Association said they were 'troubled by the actions being taken to limit the public's access to diverse viewpoints, as well as the cinema's ability to conduct business free from viewpoint-based censorship from the City.' 'The First Amendment of the United States protects freedom of speech and expression,' the groups said. 'This includes the right of filmmakers to produce and exhibit their work, and the right of the public to view it.' READ MORE: Miami Beach mayor urges theater to cancel Oscar-winner he calls 'hateful propaganda' In a March 5 letter, Meiner had urged the theater to cancel scheduled screenings of the film, citing critiques from Israeli and German government officials. O Cinema CEO Vivian Marthell responded the next day that the theater would not show the film based on 'concerns of antisemitic rhetoric.' But Marthell reversed course one day later, a decision that followed conversations with the theater's staff and board of directors, according to Kareem Tabsch, co-founder and chair of the board of directors of O Cinema. 'That was a decision that was made under duress,' Tabsch said of the initial cancellation. 'There was a panic for the future of the organization.' Since deciding to show the film and facing the threat of eviction, Tabsch said O Cinema has received an outpouring of support. 'The filmmaking community has really rallied behind this, because I think ... an attack on one of us is an attack on all of us,' he said. 'We cannot let government become involved in dictating what is permissible or not for arts organizations to present to the public, and we certainly can't allow them to decide what the public should be viewing.' In addition to letter-writing campaigns to elected officials and statements of support from groups like the International Documentary Association, O Cinema has received 'a modest uptick' in donations, Tabsch said. Still, he said, the theater relies heavily on city funding. 'If we are evicted and our funding is cut, we will be homeless,' he said. South Beach is O Cinema's only current location, though the theater announced plans last month to open a new location in Miami's Little River neighborhood in June. This story was produced with financial support from Trish and Dan Bell and from donors comprising the South Florida Jewish and Muslim Communities, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald maintains full editorial control of this work.
