VENICE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Rick Scott was confronted by dozens of protesters during a southwest Florida campaign stop.
The Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported that protesters upset with the state's ongoing red tide outbreak jammed the sidewalk outside a restaurant that Scott visited. The newspaper reports that Scott was forced to use the back door and that he left after just ten minutes. Members of the crowd shouted "coward" at the governor as he was leaving.
Scott is challenging U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson this fall and has been on a campaign bus tour across the state. Scott last week invited supporters to a popular doughnut shop in northwest Florida but was a no-show to the event after protesters showed up outside.
Hundreds of thousands of fish across southwest Florida have died during the massive red tide algal bloom that has lingered for weeks.
Huge protest outside Rick Scott campaign event in Venice. Crowd chanting “Hey hey ho ho red tide Rick has got to go” pic.twitter.com/ijCZH8L5W2
— Zac Anderson (@zacjanderson) September 17, 2018
.@FLGovScott avoided protesters and came in the back. Crowd inside restaurant chanting “Rick Scott” to drown out protesters outside. Music inside restaurant also super loud. pic.twitter.com/hIKOiedEFp
— Zac Anderson (@zacjanderson) September 17, 2018
.@FLGovScott exits back door after just 10 minutes in restaurant crowd booing and shouting “coward” pic.twitter.com/ixiyxE1juV
— Zac Anderson (@zacjanderson) September 17, 2018
