Maryam Abolfazli, one of the protest organizers, was quoted by local news outlet WKRN, saying, “We’re here because we still believe that we can make change. We can. It’s a tough state, I get it.”
The Republican-majority Legislature had convened at the Capitol to start the legislative session for the first time since the shooting, and protesters took over the halls and outdoor spaces, with video showing the Senate chamber gallery filled with protestors, including children holding signs with the age of the victims.
Amidst the shouting of “Children are dead!” from the gallery, two Democratic lawmakers in the House used a megaphone to yell, “Power to the people.” The protests followed a candlelight vigil held the night before in Nashville, where Republican lawmakers, First Lady Jill Biden, Democratic lawmakers, and musicians, including Sheryl Crow, came together to honor the victims and advocate for gun control.
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