Florida sheriff warns rioters ‘we will kill you’ as protests spread across US
Katie Boyden
A Florida sheriff has issued a stark warning to anyone planning to protest against immigration raids in his state.
Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey was speaking at a press conference ahead of roughly 1,800 protests planned across the US today (June 14).
Some of those are in opposition to the Washington military parade that marks the 250th anniversary of the US Army and coincides with president Donald Trump’s 79th birthday, with others protesting immigration raids.
Protests in Los Angeles, California are continuing for an eighth day, and they have spread across the country with riot police sent to at least five more cities.
California governor Gavin Newsom filed an emergency motion to try and stop Trump sending in the National Guard and Marines, saying their presence would encourage civil unrest and increase tensions.
Meanwhile, Trump likened the protests to a ‘foreign invasion’.
LOS ANGELES, LOS ANGELES - JUNE 08: People stand on the streets alongside burning Waymo cars on June 08, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. Tensions in the city remain high after the Trump administration called in the National Guard against the wishes of city leaders following two days of clashes with police during a series of immigration raids. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Protests have been ongoing in Los Angeles for more than a week (Picture: Mario Tama/Getty Images)
But Sheriff Ivey has made his stance on rioting and protests in his state and elsewhere very clear.
‘You’re watching what’s taking place out there. You’re seeing police officers that are being attacked, being spit on, being being put in harm’s way just for doing their jobs,’ he said at the press conference on Thursday.
‘You’re seeing ICE agents that are being targeted for doing their jobs and you’re seeing obstructionists that are doing all of this, standing in the way of law and order.
‘Not here, not in the state of Florida.
‘If (you) throw a brick, a firebomb, or point a gun at one of our deputies, we will be notifying your family where to collect your remains at because we will kill you, graveyard dead.
‘We’re not going to play. This has got to stop.’
FILE PHOTO: SENSITIVE MATERIAL. THIS IMAGE MAY OFFEND OR DISTURB A person waves a Mexican flag atop a burning vehicle during a protest against federal immigration sweeps in downtown Los Angeles, California, U.S. June 8, 2025. REUTERS/David Ryder/File Photo
The riots started in opposition to immigration raids in LA (Picture: REUTERS)
Florida’s attorney general James Uthmeier added ‘we do not allow rioting in the state of Florida’ to applause from the audience.
It’s been about five years since an anti-riot act, the Combating Public Disorder Act, was passed in the state.
The act came into force following thousands of Black Lives Matter protests which swept the US after the death of George Floyd in 2020.
It increased 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 means anyone who tears down a memorial to a historical figure could face up to 15 years in prison.
Sheriff Ivey continued: ‘If you resist lawful orders, you’re going to jail. Let me be very clear about that.
Peaceful protestors chant "Send the Military Home" as they march from a prayer vigil in Grand Park to the Federal building after days of protests in response to federal immigration operations in Los Angeles on June 10, 2025. Hundreds of Marines are due to arrive in Los Angeles on June 10 after US President Donald Trump ordered their deployment in response to protests against immigration arrests and despite objections by state officials. The 700 troops will join National Guard soldiers, amping up the militarization of the tense situation in the sprawling city, which is home to millions of foreign-born and Latino residents. The unrest was sparked by a sudden intensification of Trump's signature campaign to deport illegal migrants, with raids conducted on workplaces. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP) (Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)
There have also been peaceful protests amid the violence (Picture: Robyn Beck/AFP)
‘If you block an intersection or roadway in Brevard County, you are going to jail. If you flee arrest, you’re going to go to jail tired because we are going to run you down and put you in jail.
‘If you try to mob rule a car in Brevard County, gathering around it, refusing to let the driver leave, in our county you’re most likely going to get run over and dragged across the street.
‘If you spit on us, you’re going to the hospital and in jail. If you hit one of us, you’re going to the hospital and jail and most likely get bitten by one of our big, beautiful dogs that we have here.’
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