Why was Justin Jones expelled? Tennessee GOP expel two democratic lawmakers over gun control protest

On Thursday, April 6, the Republican-led Tennessee GOP held a hearing voting to expel Democratic lawmaker Justin Jones and two other Democrats for their role in a gun control protest. While Justin Jones and Justin Pearson were expelled, Representative Gloria Johnson was not. The trio was accused of speaking out against what they perceived as lax gun control laws in the wake of the Nashville school shooting.

Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of gun violence. Readers' discretion is advised.

According to CNN, Justin Jones, Justin Pearson, and Gloria Johnson had protested on the house floor on Thursday, loudly blowing a bullhorn as they demanded lawmakers take action. They were accused of inciting disorder and disrupting the proceedings of the House of Representatives.

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Justin Jones and his cohorts speak out against Republican lawmakers

During their protest, Justin Jones and his colleagues blamed gun laws on the spate of mass shootings in America. The attack left three 9-year-olds and three adults dead at the Covenant School, a Christian private school in Nashville.

In the middle of the hearing, Jones justified the protest, arguing that it was necessary. He said:

“There comes a time where people get sick and tired of being sick and tired. And so my colleagues, I say that what we did was act in our responsibility as legislators to serve and give voice to the grievances of people who have been silenced.”

In response to the hearing to vote for his expulsion, Justin Jones argued that the Republican-led GOP was conducting a direct 'assault on democracy.' He added that even after his expulsion, he will continue to protest against gun laws. He stated that Republican lawmakers had acted dishonorably by refusing to address the issue.

He said:

“I will continue to show up to this Capitol with these young people whether I’m in that chamber or outside."

Justin Pearson, on the other hand, argued that Republican lawmakers are racists with a 'white supremacist agenda.' While Justin Jones and Justin Pearson are people of color, Gloria Johnson is white. Johnson questioned whether or not her ethnicity had saved her from getting expelled, despite her also playing an equally important role in the protests.

Cameron Sexton, the speaker of the house, argued that lawmakers have no issues against peaceful protests. He claimed that Jones and Pearson were expelled because their demonstration disrupted the house proceedings, and ultimately impeded the efforts of lawmakers to address the Nashville shooting.

Sexton claimed that rather than sincerely attempting to solve any issues, Jones, Pearson, and Johnson were deliberately politicizing the issue to launch an attack against the current GOP. While Democrats argue that gun laws are to blame for the endemic mass shootings across the country, Republicans primarily argue that the phenomenon needs to be treated as a public mental health crisis.