Expelled Tennessee State Lawmakers Take Part in Climate Change Protest in DC

Two Tennessee House Democrats Protest Outside White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner

On April 29, two Tennessee House Democrats made their voices heard outside the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. Reps. Justin Jones (D-Nashville) and Justin Pearson (D-Memphis) joined a protest organized by Climate Defiance, a youth-led climate protest group. The protest’s organizer accused President Joe Biden of committing “ecocide” due to his approval of oil projects, including the 30-year Willow oil field development project in Alaska, which will produce as much as 180,000 barrels of oil a day.

Protesters Demand End to Fossil Fuel

The banners and placards held by protesters read “Biden: End Fossil Fuel.” The group claimed that ecocide is “devastation and destruction of the environment to the detriment of life,” according to the Vienna-based independent organization the European Law Institute.

“We Are in a State of Emergency”

“Show me what democracy looks like,” Jones said through a megaphone while amongst a group of protesters, according to a Twitter video shared by the group. Jones added, “We are in a state of emergency in this nation. We are fighting fascism. We’re fighting a system that is trying to put the profits of the gun industry, the profits of the fossil fuel industry, the profits of for-profit health care over the lives of our people.”

In another Twitter video shared by the group, Pearson told the crowd that he was glad to be in this movement. “We can never lose in this fight for justice,” Pearson said through a megaphone. “We must remain steadfast, unmovable, and unchangeable in our belief that we can have a clean planet.”

Protesters Claim Success

The group claimed on Twitter that their protest was a success, for it had successfully blocked a government SUV from entering the Washington Hilton, the hotel where the annual dinner was held. Biden gave a speech at the dinner, during which he spoke about how a free press is a pillar of any free society.

The “Tennessee Three”

On March 30, Jones, Pearson, and fellow Rep. Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville), now collectively known as the “Tennessee Three,” broke decorum rules by leading hundreds of protesters to the well of the House. Biden later invited the three to the White House.

Conclusion

The protest by Climate Defiance and the participation of the Tennessee House Democrats highlight the growing concern over climate change and the need for action. As the world faces the consequences of environmental destruction, it is important for leaders to listen to the voices of those demanding change and take action to protect our planet.