Hundreds demonstrate ahead of Tennessee House vote to expel three Democrats

Hundreds of people are protesting on Thursday as the Tennessee House of Representatives is potentially set to expel three Democratic members of the body over their participation in a protest against gun violence. 

Local reporters and news outlets, along with the gun violence prevention advocacy group March for Our Lives, posted videos on Twitter showing demonstrators rallying around Democratic state Reps. Justin Jones, Gloria Johnson and Justin Pearson. The three walked into the House chamber with their arms interlocked and fists in the air in solidarity with each other. 

Resolutions were introduced to expel the members, whom the protesters are referring to as the “Tennessee Three,” after they participated and helped lead a protest advocating for action on gun violence following the shooting at the Nashville elementary school that killed three students and three staff members early last week. 

Jones, Johnson and Pearson led chants on the House floor last Thursday and used a bullhorn. Resolutions to expel them state that they engaged in “disorderly behavior” and “did knowingly and intentionally bring disorder and dishonor to the House of Representatives.” 

State House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R) had said they were removed from their committee assignments on Monday.

GOP legislators introduced the expulsion resolutions that same day and had them expedited to go to a vote on Thursday. 

Jones, Johnson and Pearson have denounced the effort, but Republicans have a supermajority in the chamber, so they should likely easily have the votes to oust them. 

Johnson told CBS News that the expulsion resolutions are “outrageous.” 

“It sends a terrifying message to me that we are losing democracy,” she said. 

Only two members of the Tennessee House have been expelled from the body since the Civil War.