A US council has voted unanimously to reinstate state representative, Justin Jones, to the Tennessee House of Representatives, less than a week after he was expelled for taking part in a protest against gun violence.
ADVERTISEMENTIn the United States, Nashville's Metro Council has voted unanimously to reinstate state representative, Justin Jones, to the Tennessee House of Representatives, less than a week after he was expelled for taking part in a protest against gun violence.
He was one of the three Democratic lawmakers who faced expulsion for supporting protestors at the capitol.
The Republican-majority Tennessee House voted last Thursday to expel Jones and fellow Democratic Representative, Justin Pearson, who are both Black.
Another Democrat, Gloria Johnson, who also participated in the protest, survived the vote and was not expelled.
The rare expulsion vote came just days after six people, including three children, died in a shooting at a private Christian school in Nashville.
On Monday, hundreds of people gathered in support of Jones outside the Nashville courthouse, where the vote took place.
After his reinstatement, he walked to the state capitol where he re-took his oath of office on the building's steps before entering and delivering his first words to the assembly.
“We will continue to be your voice here," he said.
"And no expulsion, no attempt to silence us will stop us, but it will only galvanize and strengthen our movement. And we will continue to show up in the people’s house."