Posted July 9, 2024 Through EDITORIAL BOARD

The 2024 Gulf Coast Patriots political forum got off to a good start, despite a lack of attendance from several incumbents and other candidates. After the event, however, a member of the Santa Rosa County Republican Executive Committee roughly grabbed the hand and phone of another attendee and then shouted a profanity at the top of his lungs, prompting the intervention of an off-duty security officer for the event.

The disruption began when a constituent had a conversation with Rep. Joel Rudman in the lobby of the Tiger Point Community Center. The conversation moved outside and a female bystander recorded the conversation on an iPhone.

That’s when Mitzi Peters of Gulf Breeze approached the woman from behind and asked, “What are you doing?” The woman turned around and Peters grabbed the woman’s hand and phone before yelling, “You’re acting like an asshole.”

Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office Dep. M. Hankins was standing just feet away from Peters and intervened, telling the assailant to step back. Three on-duty deputies arrived on the scene shortly after.

Initially, the victim wanted to sue Peters, but after persuasion by the voter who spoke to Rudman, the woman decided not to do so.

This isn’t the first time an incident has occurred at a Gulf Coast Patriots political forum. The group’s 2022 forum, held at St. Sylvester Catholic Church in Navarre, drew negative national news after a candidate suggested that doctors who prescribe hormone blockers to children during gender transitions should be hanged.

While it is normal to capture heated arguments between voters and politicians on video, it is neither normal nor appropriate for one of these extremists to grab someone else’s hand and phone.

I don’t blame Alex Andrade, Matt Gaetz, Keith Gillum, Haley Morrisette, Sam Parker, Mike Priest, Rhett Rowell, Colten Wright, Gay Valimont, and Tappie Villane for not being here tonight, considering what happened in 2022.

And after what happened tonight, I strongly advise people to stay away from these extremists of the Gulf Coast Patriots/REC. They are crossing the line from threats of violence to actual acts of violence.

READ MORE: https://ssrnews.com/opinion-pitchfork-posse-threatens-violence-against-elected-official-damages-recall-florida-effort-spurs-republican-infighting/

Watch the video of Peters’ attack: