TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The chaos at the U.S. Capitol is fueling a new effort at Florida’s Capitol, legislation to crack down on protests that turn violent.

The majority Republicans in Tallahassee said it is looking to protect public safety, but Democrats warn that the events in Washington D.C. are being exploited to silence your voice. Republican Governor Ron DeSantis over the summer had called on lawmakers to crack down on unruly protests

The Black Lives Matter protests in Florida earlier this year, which prompted Republican Governor Ron DeSantis to call on lawmakers to crack down on unruly protests were dramatically different from the violence in Washington last week, Democrats say. Republicans are conflating the two to silence dissent, Democrats say.

Florida House Democrats are demanding their GOP counterparts reconsider those measures, which would allow police to arrest protesters for blocking roads and lock people up for attending a protest that turns violent, even if they remain peaceful.

“This is about power, and it's about race,” Rep. Geraldine Thompson (D-Orlando) says. “So, let's just be clear that this particular bill is about maintaining power for certain people and denying power for other people.”

Republicans say there is a time and a place for protests – and the state Capitol is one of the most popular places for protests. The new legislation would not change that, Republicans say.

According to the governor, what would change are the penalties protesters deemed as violent would face, including up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine for “mob intimidation.” The legislation would also require cities to get approval from the state any time they want to cut funding for police departments.

“You go back to the summer, some of the commentary, I disagreed with that, but I don't care what banner you're flying; if you're engaging in that conduct, we're going to hold you accountable,” DeSantis says.

The governor’s critics say violence is already criminal behavior.

“To simply say, 'We are going to criminalize even more lawful behavior' shows just how out of touch Tallahassee is,” one critic said.

Passing the violent protest penalties will be one of the top priorities of tThe Republican leaders of the state House and Senate when the legislative session begins in March, they say.