Three Tennessee legislators involved in leading a raucous demonstration in the state capitol in Nashville, Tennessee, remain in their legislative seats.
But one of them, Justin J. Jones, has been involved in previous sketchy activity, some of it associated with Black Lives Matter.
Initially expelled by the legislature for participation in the recent outbreak at the capitol, Jones was returned to the Tennessee House by the Nashville-area Davidson County Board of Commissioners which was authorized to temporarily fill the vacancy created by Jones’ expulsion, NPR said.
A similar expulsion and return to office involved Justin Pearson, voted back in by Memphis-area Shelby County.
Justin Jones is a violent BLM protester. This is his mugshots. pic.twitter.com/2WgNkS3cUz
— TMK (@TheMagaKing) April 13, 2023
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A third legislator taking part in the capitol demonstration, Gloria Johnson, avoided expulsion by one vote. Because Johnson is white and Jones and Pearson are black, actions involving the trio by the Republican supermajority have been tinged with accusations of racism.
For his part, unruly behavior by Jones associated with the legislature precedes his actions at the March 30 demonstration. That involved an estimated 1,000 people at the capitol calling for more gun control three days after the shootings of six people, three of them 9-year-old students, at Nashville’s The Covenant School.
The shooter was a former student, 28-year-old Audrey Hale, a woman identifying as male, who was killed by police. Some at the capitol demonstration called for naming her as the seventh victim of the incident.
Prior to his 2022 election, Jones was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault and disorderly conduct after throwing a cup of coffee into an elevator and hitting former House Speaker Glen Casada and State Rep. Debra Moody, both Republicans, The Tennessean reported.
Should Justin Jones have been reinstated as House Rep?
Yes: 0% (0 Votes)
No: 100% (37 Votes)
Then, in May 2020, Jones was charged during a protest by Black Lives Matter with damaging a police car by walking on it but the charges against him and another demonstrator, Janeisha Harris, were withdrawn, according to Fox News.
Most damage, including the breaking of windows and that caused by spray painting, was inflicted by other people, authorities said.
Meanwhile, a tweet is online showing Jones addressing a Nashville BLM crowd shortly before a local courthouse was set afire.
Jones (through bullhorn): “If there’s no justice!”
Crowd: “No peace!”
Jones: “No racists!”
Crowd: “No peace!”
Jones: “They say change comes about two ways. Either they see the light or they feel the fire!”
Crowd: cheers
Jones: “The white power structure of America has not saw the light. That’s why America is on fire!”
Wow. A follower just reminded me that Justin Jones gave this speech at the Nashville CHAZ + BLM event just hours before some of them rioted & set fire to the courthouse. What did @brotherjones_ know and when did he know it? Did he know people involved in this domestic terror act? pic.twitter.com/Ctu3DaDzCL
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) April 12, 2023
Following the Tennessee capitol demonstration, the expulsion votes on Jones, Peterson, and Johnson stemmed from their shouting while being refused recognition, according to CNN.
