Florida Governor Ron DeSantis statue melts in protest

A life-sized statue of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, titled ‘DENIAL’, was unveiled in Tallahassee as a symbolic protest against his climate change policies. The sculpture, created by the organization 350 Action in collaboration with Uncommon Creative Studio New York and m ss ng p eces, was cast from solid gallium. This metal has a melting point of 29.8°C (85.6°F), which is lower than the average summer high temperatures in Tallahassee.

As the statue melted in front of onlookers, the face of the governor dissolved to reveal a skull-like structure underneath. Organizers designed the piece to physically manifest the consequences of climate inaction. The protest specifically targets legislation such as HB 1645, signed by DeSantis, which removed references to climate change and greenhouse gas emissions from Florida state law and impacted how these topics are addressed in classrooms.

Environmental advocates noted the installation serves as a commentary on the governor's stance toward the climate crisis, despite Florida facing increasing threats from sea-level rise and intensified hurricanes.