Tallahassee police dispersed a crowd of more than 1,000 people in the Florida city over the weekend after officers responded to over a dozen calls complaining about large crowds outside a student apartment complex close to Florida State University amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, The Hill reported.
"The crowds ranged in size, including one with approximately 700 vehicles and more than 1,000 people gathered outside," the City of Tallahassee Police Department said in a statement.
Almost 1,500 Florida State University students have tested positive for coronavirus, including 46 last week, the school reported. The Sunshine State has reported more than 700,000 cases and more than 14,000 fatalities overall from the coronavirus since the pandemic began.
University officials have urged students to adhere to precautions of social distancing and wearing face masks.
But Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis last week proposed a "bill of rights" for college students in response to schools punishing them for hosting parties during the pandemic, saying, "I understand that universities are trying to do the right thing. But, I personally think it's dramatically draconian that a student could get potentially expelled for going to a party. That's what college kids do."
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.