TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA — Conservative journalist Christopher Rufo trolled Leftist politicians and activists after statewide protests on college campuses yielded a meager turnout.
While media reports published headlines that omitted any mention of size, Rufo contextualized the attendance by noting the enormous student body populations for the large state schools. He suggested the relatively small crowds demonstrated the unpopularity of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) policies.
“Left-wing campus activists promised to mobilize mass demonstrations against Gov. DeSantis, who has promised to abolish DEI departments at Florida's public universities,” Rufo told his nearly half a million followers in a tweet. “FSU has 30,000 students—and could only muster up a tiny crowd. It's time to call their bluff.”
University of Central Florida has 68,000 students. Left-wing activists had promised mass demonstrations in support of DEI, but could only mobilize a few dozen neon-haired malcontents.
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) February 23, 2023
Seems like very few Floridians want a racialist bureaucracy dominating higher education. https://t.co/7DPIitjzDi
Rufo has been leading a crusade against “DEI bureaucracies” nationwide in recent weeks, exposing discriminatory practices at major universities across the country.
“ROOKIE NUMBERS”
In a follow up tweet, Rufo called out State Rep. Anna Eskamani (D-Orlando) and former state lawmaker Carlos Smith, writing: “You need to try harder, @AnnaForFlorida and @CarlosGSmith. These are rookie numbers.”
In a response, Smith predicted that the movement would grow, writing: “Hey @realchrisrufo — we are just getting started. Maybe they were asleep before, but students are now WOKE to your hostile, right-wing takeover of higher ed. They won’t see merit-based scholarships for minorities abolished, or DEI initiatives eliminated— they #standforfreedom!”
On January 6, Governor Ron DeSantis appointed Rufo and of five other conservatives to the New College board of trustees with the goal of transforming the far-Left school into a “Hillsdale of the South.”
Rufo has stated that one of his initial goals at New College is to replace Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives at New College with “equality, merit and colorblindness.”
