In an embarrassing woke meltdown, two Florida pastors, Rev. Andy Oliver and Minister Benedict Atherton-Zeman, were arrested for standing in the way of Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) crews as they painted over a “Black History Matters” mural in St. Petersburg. Eventually, the two men were charged with obstructing traffic after refusing to move.
For context, Governor Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 1662, which aims to eliminate “non-standard surface markings” for safety reasons. In response, woke activists across the state have staged numerous embarrassing and ineffectual protests.
In any case, local news reported that, “FDOT Secretary Jared Perdue described the bill as an effort to keep transportation facilities free and clear of political ideologies.” Sources note that murals and sidewalks across the political spectrum have been painted over. Speaking to the controversy, the City of Tampa announced, “We continue to encourage and celebrate community art projects in spaces where they can truly shine.”
In any case, one of the two men arrested, Rev. Oliver, went on a massive woke meltdown, noting, “For me, living out my faith, resisting tyranny and fascism and white supremacy was the most important thing last night.” Doubling down on social media, he stated, “Black history still matters… if you look hard at the picture, you can see that even Ron’s paint couldn’t fully hide that truth,”
The mayor of the city criticised the protest, in a statement which read, “Obey the law. Don’t take the bait. As I stated previously, blocking roadways and intersections is illegal under Florida law. Be smart and protest in alignment with the law.”
Using the opportunity for cheap self-promotion, the Woodson African American Museum of Florida wrote in a Facebook post, “Just because the mural has disappeared, it doesn’t mean The Woodson’s mission has ended. We continue to preserve, present, interpret, celebrate, and educate others about African American art, history, and culture throughout Florida and beyond.”
As we reported, other woke activists, such as a Democratic state senator, railed against the decision. Guillermo-Smith alleged that the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) had vandalized the sidewalk. The woke activist complained, “Hi everyone. This is state senator Carlos Guillermo-Smith. I am outside the Pulse nightclub interim Memorial, and we just discovered that the Florida Department of Transportation, in the middle of the night, ripped the rainbow colors off of this city crosswalk.”
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Continuing his unhinged rant, the biased politician whined, “They illegally vandalized city property, without providing the city of Orlando notice or getting their approval to remove this rainbow crosswalk that was painted here, not only to remember the lives of the 49 mostly LGBTQ people of color who were murdered here, but also to keep the pedestrians and visitors safe who have come here year after year
to pay their respects to those lives who were taken here.”
Concluding his comments, The woke activist complained, “I cannot believe that the DeSantis administration has engaged in this hostile act against the city of Orlando, that they have insulted the families and survivors of this horrific tragedy, and that they have done this in this way.”