South Florida prosecutor fired over Facebook post comparing protesters to ‘animals’

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A South Florida prosecutor was fired Monday for a social media post that compared protesters to anmals.

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Amy Bloom, an eight-year veteran of the Broward County State Attorney’s Office, wrote the post a day after protestors clashed with police in Fort Lauderdale, the Sun-Sentinel reported. She quickly deleted the post, but the image was captured and shared with other lawyers in Broward County, the newspaper reported.

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“When will people learn that their criminal acts and obnoxious protesting actually gets you nowhere?" Bloom allegedly wrote on Facebook. "Act civilized and maybe things will change. I’ve never seen such animals except at the zoo.”

In the post, Bloom added that her criticisms applied to everyone, regardless of race, the Sun-Sentinel reported.

The demonstrators were marching to protest the death of George Floyd, 46, a Minneapolis resident who died May 25 after a police officer kept his knees on the man’s neck for more than eight minutes during an arrest.

In a statement, the State Attorney’s Office announced Bloom’s firing.

“Following our review of the Facebook posting by Ms. Amy Bloom, we have made the decision to terminate her effective immediately," the statement said. "The views expressed in that posting are entirely inconsistent with the ideals and principles of the Broward State Attorney’s Office and the duties and responsibilities of an assistant state attorney.”

Bloom returned to Facebook to clarify and apologize for her post, the Sun-Sentinel reported.

“I made a post and realized that it could be misinterpreted, so I deleted it within seconds,” she wrote. “I believe in justice for all and that ALL lives matter. I don’t look at anybody by their color shape or size ... My post specifically referenced the people who took advantage of the opportunity to protest. I respect the people who have a mission and wanted to accomplish it. It is hard to respect those who are taking it away with violence and destruction.”

Cox Media Group