Two young black Democrats in Tennessee have been expelled from the state House of Representatives by the Republican supermajority after they took part in a protest against gun violence on the House floor.


Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, both first-time legislators in their 20s, were ousted on Thursday, April 6, by a vote of 72-25 and 71-26 respectively. They had joined fellow Democrat Gloria Johnson in staging a demonstration on March 30, calling for stricter gun control laws in the wake of a deadly shooting at a Nashville school that killed three 9-year-old students and three staff members.


The three lawmakers dubbed the “Tennessee Three” by supporters, used a bullhorn to interrupt the House proceedings and chanted “Protect kids, not guns” and “No justice, no peace”. They also held up signs that read “Stop sales of AR15” and “Ban assault weapons now”.


The protest angered the Republicans, who hold more than two-thirds of the seats in the House. They accused the Democrats of violating the House rules and disrupting the legislative process. They also stripped Jones and Johnson of their committee assignments and introduced motions to expel them from the legislature.


The Democrats defended their actions as an exercise of their constitutional rights and a response to the public outcry over gun violence. They also pointed out that a Republican lawmaker had filmed the protest from the House floor, which was also against the rules but faced no consequences.


The expulsion of Jones and Pearson sparked outrage among civil rights groups, gun control advocates, and Democratic leaders. Vice President Kamala Harris flew to Nashville on Friday to meet with them and express her solidarity. She called their removal a “shameful act of political retaliation” and praised them for their courage and leadership.


The county legislatures of Davidson and Shelby counties, where Jones and Pearson represent, have the power to appoint interim replacements for them until a special election can be held. Both Jones and Pearson have said they hope to be reinstated and run again for their seats.


The dispute in Tennessee has drawn national attention as a clash between Democrats seeking to advance gun control and racial justice and Republicans who have wielded their supermajority in the statehouse as they see fit. It has also highlighted the challenges faced by young black lawmakers in a predominantly white and conservative legislature.