Jacksonville Democrats hold rally over net neutrality vote

Proponents of net neutrality protest against Federal Communication Commission Chairman Ajit Pai outside the American Enterprise Institute in May.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Political activists are holding a rally in Jacksonville Tuesday evening in protest of the Federal Communications Commission's recent decision to scrap Obama-era net neutrality rules.

The event is scheduled for 5 p.m. at the Markets at Town Center, where the Duval Democratic Party will call for Sen. Marco Rubio and Rep. John Rutherford to support an effort to turn back the clock on that vote.

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The FCC voted Dec. 14 to repeal the net neutrality protections in a 3-2 vote that followed party lines. The rules were passed in 2015 with the goal of providing a level playing field online.

In short, the rules were designed to prevent internet services providers, such as Comcast, from accelerating or throttling access to certain websites and services -- and favoring their own content.

Democrats want Rutherford and Rubio the back the use of the Congressional Review Act, or CRA, in the hopes of reversing the FCC's vote. The CRA would restore the 2015 Open Internet Order.

In a statement issued Tuesday, the Duval Democrats said they believe "a free and open internet enables innovation and allows communities and business to communicate and flourish. ISPs should not be able to choose winners and losers in their bid to regulate the internet."


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