Last week, Charles Lockard, Jacksonville community organizer and friend to many, was arrested at his home in Jacksonville unexpectedly. Charles had been active in multiple peaceful protests and actions at the State Capitol in Tallahassee during the most recent session of the Florida legislature in which laws heavily restricting bodily autonomy, banning gender-affirming care, and further criminalizing our state’s immigrant populations, were signed into law.

Charles’ arrest, and the arrests of other activists and organizers across the state of Florida in recent years, is part of an openly authoritarian political project spearheaded by Ron DeSantis ever since his attempt to criminalize protest with the signing of HB 1, “Combatting Public Disorder,” during Florida’s 2021 legislative session. DeSantis has been clear in his words and actions - under his regime, dissent is not welcome in the state of Florida. But folks like Charles do not accept these circumstances, and continue to mobilize their communities in the spirit of solidarity and equality.

Luckily, Charles’ family was able to bail him out after he was processed at the Duval County Jail. Let us thank Charles for his work opposing the authoritarian policies of DeSantis’ Florida by helping his family out with their legal fees.