Tennessee House of Representatives Expels Two Democratic Members After Anti-Gun Violence Protests

Tennessee State House of Representatives voted to expel two Democratic members on Thursday, Rep. Justin Jones and Rep. Justin Pearson, for their participation in anti-gun violence protests following a school massacre in Nashville. The vote was met with outcry from the representatives, who called it oppressive, vindictive and racially motivated.

The protests had been held in response to the March 27 school shooting that killed three adults and three 9-year-old students. Following their expulsion, Jones and Pearson called for protesters to return to the Capitol when the House is back in session on Monday.

In response to the expulsion, protesters packed the state Capitol on Thursday to denounce the ousting of the two representatives and to advocate for gun reform measures. Rep. Gloria Johnson, who is White and was also involved in the protests, was spared from the expulsion.

The expulsion of the two Democratic representatives has sparked a debate over the right to protest and the power of the majority party. Supporters of the representatives have argued that the expulsion is a violation of their First Amendment rights, while opponents have argued that the representatives were in violation of House rules.

The debate is likely to continue as protesters return to the Capitol on Monday. The outcome of the protests and the response from the House of Representatives will be closely watched by both sides of the debate.