#changethedebate

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputies arrested 15 members of a political group aimed at youth issues Monday night after they refused to remove themselves from sitting in the middle of westbound Yamato Road during the presidential debate at Lynn University, a sheriff’s spokeswoman said.

They were arrested on charges of unlawful assembly, blocking a highway and trespass after warning.

A sheriff’s deputy working security for the debate was called to the intersection of Yamato Road and Military Trail around 10 p.m. and found the 15 sitting on the ground in the middle of the westbound lanes of Yamato.

The group was singing and wore sweatshirts that read “Dream Defenders,” according to a sheriff’s probable cause affidavit.

The group was given two verbal warnings to remove themselves from blocking traffic. They were arrested after ignoring the deputy’s commands.

All have since been released from the Palm Beach County Jail on their own recognizance.

“All were cooperative when told they were being arrested,” sheriff’s spokeswoman Teri Barbera said in a statement. “All complied with all verbal instructions in conjunction with their arrest. There were no injuries to any arrestees or to PBSO members. Nor were there any uses of control.”

The Dream Defenders was founded in April and have chapters at Florida A&M University, Florida State University, Florida International University, Miami Dade Community College, the University of Florida, the University of Central Florida, Tampa, Florida and Polk State College, according to their website.

“We are dedicated to defending the dream etched in our memories by Dr. Martin Luther King: that we are all created equal and possess equal rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” the website says. “We are a growing coalition of youth and students committed to replacing jails with schools, ending the illegal war on the undocumented, and dismantling the systems that criminalize our people.”

The group’s plan to protest at the debate were announced on their website. The protesting was aimed at the candidates’

“refusal to address youth issues,” the website says.

A statement from one of those arrested, Ciara Taylor, 23, of Tallahassee, was posted on the website: “Like many Americans, the Dream Defenders are disappointed with the deliberate decision of the candidates to not mention the criminalization of our youth. In a state that boasts the largest number of youth in the United States serving life sentences, we understand how critical it is for the candidates to address this overwhelming problem.”