Florida Barber's Act Of Civil Disobedience Reaches Governor

MIRAMAR, FL — Despite being slapped with two fines and threatened with the loss of his license, a Florida barber's act of civil disobedience in the epicenter of the state's coronavirus outbreak reached the governor Wednesday and sparked a spontaneous outpouring of kindness from people he didn't know.

"We did something beautiful," Daniel Liriano told Patch after being forced to close his Lion Style Barbershop & Salon in the Broward County community of Miramar.

The closure came one day after Liriano disobeyed an emergency order restricting nonessential businesses like his.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis commented on the case at a press conference outside of Hard Rock Stadium.

"I really believe that if somebody is able to conduct their business in a way that is low risk, government shouldn't be restricting them," the governor acknowledged.

Unlike recent protests where demonstrators challenged the continued lockdown by ignoring social distancing rules and refusing to wear masks, Liriano said he spent between $2,000 and $3,000 on fresh paint, masks, gloves and hiring a cleaning company to sanitize his shop.

"I'm desperately in need of a haircut. I know people are eager," the governor sympathized. "I find it fascinating how some of the people I see on TV, that are the most vociferous about not allowing anything open, always have a close-cut haircut. How does that work? Does their hair just stop growing during a pandemic or are they violating the rules?"

Liriano said he had no choice but to close when a Miramar code enforcement officer threatened to take action against the five barbers who work with him in his shop along busy State Road 7 not far from Miami.

"Basically what they told me was they were giving me a citation but tomorrow they were going to start giving out citations to my guys, my workers, and that they might be going for the license, everybody's license," he said.

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Liriano had been wearing gloves and a face shield to cut hair, not unlike the ones health care workers have been using to collect coronavirus samples. So were the five other barbers who work with him.

"The painting we wanted to do it just to make sure the place is clean," he said. "I’m taking every precaution. They can’t come here and say, 'You didn’t do this.' Yes, I did."

His customers had also been required do their part. "They are required to wear a mask when they come in, and if they don’t have one, we’re giving them a mask," he said. The shop also had been taking customer temperatures and practicing social distancing.

Some other barbers and hair stylists have kept their businesses shuttered but continued to see clients at their homes, according to Liriano.

"I’m not a criminal. I don’t have to do things behind nobody’s back. I pay my taxes. This is my business," he insisted. "I don’t want to go to peoples’ houses neither. I want to open my business, make sure that everything is safe and clean and sanitized and take care of my customers."

Tania Rues of the Miramar Police Department, which is less than 20 miles from Miami, said on Tuesday the shop had initially been given a uniform civil violation that states it is unlawful to engage in any act "by which the life or health of any person or persons may be threatened, or by which directly or indirectly, disease may be caused."

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That carried a $65 fine. Liriano received a second citation for $115 on Wednesday. Rues said police have been working with the community to avoid such citations.

"Unfortunately, the owner of this establishment has refused to comply and was cited," she said. "The code compliance officer did, however, provide information on food distribution sites and other resources for food assistance."

Liriano said he doesn't want a food handout. His landlord charged him only half of the regular $1,583 he pays monthly in rent for the shop.

"I’m not here to beg," he said of the landlord. "I understand he has family, too, and he has his own business. We’ve got to help each other. He helped me."

Many Florida businesses and restaurants reopened Monday in other parts of the state amid tighter social distancing requirements and reduced occupancy, but not hair salons. Nonessential businesses in Broward and nearby Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties remain closed because those counties accounted for some 60 percent of Florida's 38,002 confirmed coronavirus cases as of Wednesday.

But Liriano also has a family to think of. He has two daughters — 17 and 22 — a fiancee, and his fiancee's 17-year-old son.

"Is Miramar going to pay my rent? Is Miramar going to pay my light bill? Where am I going to eat?" he asked. "Outside on the street, when they throw me out?"

Liriano and his barbers had planned to split the fines out of the $14 and up they charge for haircuts. They hadn't gotten stimulus checks or unemployment.

But three people brought cash donations into the barbershop Wednesday, including one for $100, another for $200 and still another for $600. Others even brought boxes of food for Liriano and his barbers.

"I had tears in my eyes," he confided. After paying the fines, Liriano said the money will now be divided among his barbers to help them get through the tough days ahead.

"I see it this way: I’m the captain of this boat," Liriano said. "If this boat is going to sink, I’m going to sink with it. I’m not going to watch it sink from across the street.”