Prosecutor fired over social media post calling demonstrators ‘animals’

A Broward prosecutor who likened protesters to zoo animals in a Facebook post was fired Monday.

Amy Bloom, an eight-year veteran of the Broward State Attorney’s Office, referred to protesters as “animals at the zoo” and called their acts shameful.

Bloom quickly deleted the post, but not before someone captured an image of it and began sharing it with other Broward lawyers.

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

She added that her criticisms apply to everyone regardless of race.

The post came a day after some demonstrators in Fort Lauderdale clashed with police and vandalized downtown businesses. Nationwide, demonstrations over the police-involved death of George Floyd in Minneapolis have been accompanied by looting and vandalism.

The State Attorney’s Office released a statement just before 1 p.m. “Following our review of the Facebook posting by Ms. Amy Bloom, we have made the decision to terminate her effective immediately,” the statement read. “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, who was assigned to the “Ten-Twenty-Life” division of the felony trial unit, took to her Facebook page again to clarify and apologize for her original post.

“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.”