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Thousands of students from across Tennessee protested at the State Capitol Thursday demanding stricter gun control laws.
Three days after a school shooting at an elementary school in Nashville that left seven people, including the gunman, thousands of Tennessee students showed up to the State Capitol protesting for stricter gun control laws.
Frustrations over lawmakers’ inaction has reached a boiling point for many parents and students after Tennessee State Representative Tim Burchett (R) said “we’re not gonna fix” school shootings through legislation.
“It’s a horrible, horrible situation,” Burchett told reporters. “And we’re not gonna fix it. Criminals are gonna be criminals.”
Students Show Up to Tennessee State Capitol to Protest
On Thursday morning, thousands of students showed up to the Tennessee State Capitol for a “Protect Our Kids” rally.
Inside the Capitol, tensions were also at a boiling point amongst lawmakers as several Democratic state reps. interrupted the session.
Rep. Justin Jones (D), Rep. Justin Pearson (D), and Rep. Gloria Johnson (D) took over the well and led chants of “no action, no peace,” with students from the gallery joining.
Republican House leadership at the Tennessee Capitol deliberated about expelling the three representatives for their interruption, but ultimately decided against it.
A familiar call has grown across the country for stricter gun laws in the wake of the 13th school shooting with deaths or injuries in 2023.
However, Republicans across the country have said that this is not the time to discuss gun laws. In North Carolina, Republican lawmakers voted to override Governor Roy Cooper’s veto of a bill that removes permit requirements for handguns. The law is effective immediately, giving North Carolina residents unchecked access to handgun purchases.