Protesters Unveil Melting DeSantis Statue to Protest His Stance on Climate Change

Protesters in Tallahassee, Florida, revealed a life-sized statue of Governor Ron DeSantis — and then watched it melt. The statue was made of a metal called gallium, which melts in temperatures that Florida regularly reaches in summer. The stunt was meant to send a message about DeSantis' long record of blocking action on climate change.

The silver statue melted away to show a skull underneath DeSantis' face. Gallium melts at 85.6°F (29.8°C), a temperature that Tallahassee, Florida's capital city, often hits during warm months. The group behind the protest said the melting statue was a perfect symbol of what they see as DeSantis' failure to deal with the climate crisis.

The environmental group 350Action, along with an advertising agency called Uncommon, organized the protest. They said the statue represented DeSantis' eight years as Florida's governor, which ends in January. Candice Fortin, a campaign manager at 350Action, said it is more important than ever for voters who care about climate change to make their voices heard at the ballot box.

DeSantis has long pushed back against efforts to fight climate change. He has called climate policies a 'radical climate agenda' and blocked Florida cities from passing laws to reduce pollution. He even signed a law that removed words like 'climate change' and 'greenhouse gas emissions' from Florida's official rules and laws.

That law made it harder for state agencies to even talk about the climate crisis. It also affected classrooms, where teachers have fewer and fewer chances to bring up climate change. Scientists widely agree that burning fossil fuels is causing the planet to warm, but DeSantis has said he does not want to be labeled a 'global warming person.'

Florida faces serious risks from a changing climate. Sea levels are rising in southern Florida, and powerful hurricanes have been hitting the state more often. Scientists say warmer ocean temperatures make these storms stronger, and the damage has been so expensive that several major insurance companies have left Florida completely.

Florida's next governor is likely to continue these same policies. Republican candidate Byron Donalds is heavily favored to win the upcoming governor's race. Like DeSantis, Donalds says he cares about Florida's environment but falsely claims that human actions are not causing climate change — something that goes against what nearly all scientists believe.

DeSantis defended his record in a post on the social media platform X in May 2024. He said he was 'restoring sanity' in how Florida handles energy and called supporters of strong climate policies 'radical green zealots.' His comments showed that he has no plans to change course on climate issues.