As Nikki Fried approached Lillie Johnson in the parking lot, both faces, lit up with looks of recognition, though they were meeting for the first time.
3 days ago, Rain stood up for injustice and was wrongfully arrested.
— Nikki Fried (@NikkiFried) July 7, 2022
Today I stood with them. It’s inspiring young leaders like Rain who give us all hope in Florida and America’s future. pic.twitter.com/CH2TeH0ako
Fried, Florida’s commissioner of agriculture, threw her arms around the 13-year-old, and they shared a long and affectionate embrace.
“You are awesome,” Fried later said, as she stood and spoke with Lillie and the teen’s mother, Lauren Johnson, at Southgate Shopping Center. She added, “You OK?”
Lillie, who also uses the name Rain, seemed to be doing fine. Fried, a Democratic candidate for governor, had figuratively embraced the teenager as a symbol of the struggle for abortion rights after seeing a video of Lillie being walked to a police car at a demonstration Monday in Munn Park.
Fried came to Lakeland on Thursday to meet Lillie and to join the Johnsons and others in a rally for abortion rights. Asked why she considers Lillie an inspiration, Fried answered readily.
“Because she’s a fighter, and during a time when democracy is on the line, and the governor (Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis) has put together an anti-protest piece of legislation a year and a half ago that was supposed to discourage people from standing up for their rights, and the fact that she was willing to be out here, and to protest, and then come back out and say, ‘I’m not going to be stopped; I’m supporting what I believe in,’” Fried said. “That is an inspiration and certainly is motivation for me to be here today.”
As Fried gave media interviews, Lillie — who identifies as non-binary — stood nearby wearing cutoff denim overalls with rainbow suspenders, the word “Queen” stitched on the chest. Lillie also wore an LGBT pride flag as a cape.
Lakeland Police officers cited Lillie during the July 4 rally for using a bullhorn, a violation of a city ordinance. Lauren Johnson declined to discuss the legal situation, on the advice of the family’s lawyer. David Haas, an Orlando attorney, is representing Lillie at no charge after seeing Fried’s tweet about the incident.
As Fried chatted with Lillie and Lauren Johnson, the teen said, “I’m itching to get out there.”
The youngster soon joined the assembly on the sidewalk along South Florida Avenue.