Republican senator Marco Rubio has been removed from his Florida office due in part to protesters outside of the building. A landlord who managed the property refused to renew Rubio’s lease over the protests.
What do we know of the expulsion?
The owner of the Bridgeport Center, the building that hosted Rubio since 2014, is president of America’s Capital Partners, Jude Williams, and he has recently decided to expel Rubio from the property due to the disruptive protests and rallies, which have cost the company money, according to reports. In a released statement, Williams said that he understands the cause of the protesters, but explained that his action was needed for security concerns.
Additionally, he also denied any political agenda behind the action.
The office will need to be emptied by Thursday, and the senator is currently looking for new headquarters in Tampa. According to a released statement from Rubio’s spokeswoman, Christina Mandreucci, Rubio is looking for a new base in the area and wants his team to remain a "prompt and efficient service to all Floridians." In addition, Rubio also has bases in other Florida areas, including Miami, Orlando, Jacksonville, Pensacola, Tallahassee, and Palm Beach. Constituents can also use a phone line if they need to reach a representative.
What do we know of the protesters?
Many of the known protesters are associated with the national Indivisible movement, which is aimed at protesting President Donald Trump's administration.
The organization's main goal is to oppose the administration on a local level and place pressure on Republican representatives. Reportedly, the organization was also developed as a response to the Tea Party movement.
According to reports, the protesters were not willing to leave the area near Rubio’s office, with one released statement claiming that they would appear and rally for every week of the first 100 days of Trump’s presidency.
The office expulsion is also notably not an isolated incident for Rubio. Similar protests also halted him from attending Town Hall Meetings in recent events. According to a released statement from Rubio, “they are not town halls anymore.” He also described inappropriate behavior from the protesters at town hall meetings, such as booing or chanting at him regardless of whatever answers he gives.
