Numerous people hung signs with hate speech from an overpass in Port St. John Sunday, stirring up anger, protest and other emotions on social media and raising questions about the state of hate in Brevard County.
State Rep. Ana Eskamani tweeted, “Omg what is this racist & antisemitism trash?!”, asking Sheriff Wayne Ivey for comment on the incident. Since it was done on a roadway, FHP was responsible for the incident.
Deputies did block of the road leading to the signs
Omg what is this racist & anti-semitism trash?! @SheriffIvey can you comment? https://t.co/Mr6QGTG8nj
— Rep. Anna V. Eskamani 🔨 (@AnnaForFlorida) December 19, 2021
State Rep. Randy Fine, who is Jewish, denounced the display, saying, “Kyle should shoot these ********,” in a Sunday Facebook post.
According to observers, the group was there with their signs for three hours before Florida Highway Patrol arrived on the scene in the early afternoon and asked the group to remove them.
FHP spokeswoman Kim Montes said it is illegal for signs of any kind to be flown from overpasses. But Montes said the group removed the banners and left of their own accord. She added no members of the group were arrested or cited.
“We didn’t get any IDs or take any names. We did not ask them to leave the area,” Montes said. “If we ask somebody to do something and they comply, then the end result is achieved.”
According to Montes, the group appeared to be the same people who set up a similar display in Orlando several months ago.
