TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Tallahassee Police say they arrested 11 pro-abortion protesters on Monday, including two high-ranking Florida Democrats. 

What You Need To Know

  • Democratic Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book and Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried are facing misdemeanor charges after they refused to leave a demonstration near the Capitol       

  • The demonstration came after Senate passage of the six-week abortion ban bill

  • Police issued the pair notices to appear

Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book and Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried are facing misdemeanor charges after they refused to leave a demonstration near the Capitol.

The arrests came hours after the Florida Senate passed a controversial proposal that would ban abortion after six-weeks of pregnancy. The proposal now awaits a final vote in the House.

“We protest to honor the sacrifice of all the women who came before us and all the women who are coming after us,” said Fried after her arrest.

City leaders say they repeatedly asked demonstrators to vacate the area before sundown and warned they would otherwise face arrest. They also noted that protesters were allowed to demonstrate during daylight hours, despite not having an event permit. 

“I don’t know what the circumstances of that were,” said House Speaker Paul Renner, a Republican. “I don’t know if they wanted to get arrested for a reason that they may see as advantageous.”

Police released the pair later in the night and issued them each a notice to appear.

The abortion bill currently under consideration in the Legislature will appear next in the Florida House, where lawmakers say they plan to deliver a final vote.

“All they were trying to do was raise awareness around that issue just like we do on the chamber floor every day,” said House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, who will lead Democrats against the bill next week. 

State law currently bans abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.