Photo: AFP
A Florida sheriff is facing allegations of racial discrimination and profiling after abruptly canceling a "Boots on the Ground" line dance competition, per LEVEL.
The event, centered around the viral "Boots on the Ground" line dance that has taken Black communities by storm, was initially set to be held at Flagler County Fairgrounds on Saturday (July 26). Event organizer Troy Reddin said he applied for the necessary permits months in advance and met every requirement laid out by the county. Still, Sheriff Rick Staly shut down the planned event just one day before it was set to kick off due to "safety concerns."
“They said I needed insurance for today’s event, and I got the insurance,” Reddin said. “They said I needed to hire three deputies for security; I did that. I got a liquor permit, and they approved it, and the Sheriff’s office had to provide three additional deputies in reference to the liquor permit.”
Ahead of Saturday's line dance competition, Reddin said he was given the keys to the fairgrounds on Thursday (July 24). Vendors, food trucks, and merchandise sellers were scheduled to begin set-up at 9 a.m. on Saturday. However, signs began to pop up on local roads stating the event's cancellation on Friday (July 25).
In a Facebook post, the Sheriff’s Office said: “The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is informing the public that a previously permitted event planned at the Flagler County Fairgrounds on Saturday, July 26th has been revoked and is now considered an unsanctioned event and in violation of local laws."
The department initially cited an “improper permit application,” but later claimed the cancellation was due to “safety concerns, potential damage to the fairgrounds because of the rain-soaked grounds, and the failure of the organizer to follow the permitted use in the permit and application.”
Staly added that the "Boots on the Ground" competition could “trigger a significant hostile event and make it more difficult and dangerous for my deputies to keep public order.” The sheriff urged the public to report “malicious gatherings and dancing.”
Reddin attempted to relocate the event to another area of Flagler County, including in Bunnell and Palm Coast, but officials warned that any alternate venue would also be unpermitted and attendees could be arrested. The Bunnell Police Department said it would deploy “boots-on-the-ground patrols."
“A zero-tolerance approach will be taken toward any individual or group that seeks to disrupt the peace, threaten public safety, or diminish the quality of life for residents and businesses in the City of Bunnell," the department said.
Reddin, a former rapper, said he believes he was racially profiled and painted as a security threat due to his background.
“He looked into my background and profiled me as a violent person,” he said.
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