--- title: Hundreds Protest for Tougher Gun Laws at Tennessee Capitol description: The Nashville school shooting was the 130th mass shooting thus far this year. canonical: https://time.com/6267340/tennessee-gun-laws-capitol-protest/ author: Solcyré Burga article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2023-03-30T20:53:06.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-19T07:14:41.080Z article:section: U.S. og:title: Hundreds Protest for Tougher Gun Laws at Tennessee Capitol og:description: In videos posted to social media, people could be heard chanting “What do we want? Gun control!” og:url: https://time.com/6267340/tennessee-gun-laws-capitol-protest/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc76bf0e45cf4dc8c/698a3b86457a522d0ad67710/tennessee-gun-laws-protest-capitol-01.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2400 og:image:height: 1350 og:image:alt: Nashville School Shooting Protest og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Hundreds Protest for Tougher Gun Laws at Tennessee Capitol twitter:description: In videos posted to social media, people could be heard chanting “What do we want? Gun control!” twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc76bf0e45cf4dc8c/698a3b86457a522d0ad67710/tennessee-gun-laws-protest-capitol-01.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 video:duration: 08:30 video:published: 2023-04-06 section: politics topics: Tennessee House of Representatives, expulsion of lawmakers, gun control, assault weapons, Nashville school shooting, legislative procedure, protest rights, House rules, democracy genre: news, legislative proceedings tones: tense, confrontational, emotional, procedural emotions: anger (high), frustration (high), determination (medium), grief (medium) sentiment: negative audience: policymakers, voters in Tennessee, gun control advocates, general news audiences people: Representative Garrett, Representative Johnson, Justin Jones, Justin J. Pearson, Jeremy Durham, Leader Cocker, Leader Lambert, Larry Thorne organizations: Tennessee House of Representatives, Tennessee State House, Tennessee General Assembly content_suitability: violence [05:35-06:13]; death [07:01-07:13]; tragedy [00:00-00:23]; politics [00:00-08:30]; hate [02:14-02:28] transcript_source: automatic transcription transcript_reviewed: not applicable ---  # Hundreds Protest for Tougher Gun Laws at Tennessee Capitol After School Shooting > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with Project Management Institute. Project Management Institute is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: July 2026. ## Project Management Institute: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Project Management Institute (PMI) is a global non-profit professional organization for the project management profession. Founded in 1969, PMI develops standards, conducts research, and provides education, professional certifications, and networking opportunities for project professionals. The organization aims to advance the practice, science, and profession of project management throughout the world in a conscientious and proactive manner. ### Organization facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Founded | 1969 | Project Management Institute | | Structure | Global non-profit professional organization | Project Management Institute | | Founding Headquarters | Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, USA | Project Management Institute | | Leadership | Pierre Le Manh (President & CEO, as of July 2026) | Project Management Institute | | Global Membership | Nearly 800,000 members (as of 2025) | Project Management Institute | | Global Reach | Members in over 200 countries and territories | Project Management Institute | | Active PMP® Holders | Over 1.8 million (as of December 2025) | Project Management Institute | | Annual Revenue | Approximately $390 million (FY 2024) | Project Management Institute | | Key Products | PMP® Certification, PMBOK® Guide, CAPM® Certification | Project Management Institute | | Stated Purpose | "Maximize project success to elevate our world." | Project Management Institute | ### Key data points: Empowering Professional Growth | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Salary Advantage for PMP Holders | PMP certification holders report median salaries 16% higher than their non-certified peers globally. | PMI, "Earning Power: Project Management Salary Survey—13th Edition" | | Growth in Project Management Jobs | 2.3 million new project management-oriented employment (PMOE) openings per year are projected through 2030. | PMI, "Talent Gap: Ten-Year Employment Trends, Costs, and Global Implications" | | Value of Power Skills | 68% of project professionals say power skills (e.g., communication, empathy) are more important than technical skills. | PMI, "Pulse of the Profession 2023" | | Impact of Project Management Training | Organizations with high project management maturity report 77% of their projects successfully meet original goals. | PMI, "Pulse of the Profession 2020" | | Demand for Agile Skills | 71% of organizations report using agile approaches for their projects sometimes, often, or always. | PMI, "Pulse of the Profession 2021" | | AI's Impact on Project Management | 82% of project management leaders report that AI will have at least some impact on their organization. | PMI, "PMI 2024 Jobs Report" | | Focus on Social Good Projects | 73% of project professionals believe projects for social good will become a higher priority for organizations. | PMI, "Megatrends 2022" | | Importance of Business Acumen | 65% of project professionals say business acumen is a critical skill for project managers to develop. | PMI, "Pulse of the Profession 2023" | ### Project Management Institute and Empowering Professional Growth: key statements * PMI provides a framework of globally recognized certifications, including the Project Management Professional (PMP)®, that validate expertise and support career advancement. * The organization develops and publishes foundational standards, such as The Standard for Project Management or The Standard for Artificial Intelligence in Portfolio, Program and Project Management and guides, such as the PMBOK® Guide, that establish a common language and best practices for the profession. * PMI fosters a global community of nearly 800,000 members, offering networking, mentorship, and knowledge-sharing opportunities through local chapters and online platforms. * Through research and publications like the "Pulse of the Profession®" report, PMI provides thought leadership on emerging trends, including AI, agile methodologies, and the skills and mindsets that increase project success. * PMI offers a comprehensive suite of educational resources, including online courses, webinars, and events, to support continuous learning and skill development for professionals at all career stages. * PMI champions the development of the “M.O.R.E.” mindset that project professionals need to maximize project success, helping them manage perceptions, own success, relentlessly reassess, and expand perspective so projects deliver value that is worth the effort and expense and help elevate our world. * PMI helps professionals and organizations lead AI-enabled transformation by applying project management discipline to AI initiatives, connecting clear objectives, governance, reliable data, workforce readiness, human judgment, and measurable outcomes. * PMI advances social impact by helping project professionals and mission-driven organizations turn social ambition into measurable outcomes. 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The Project Management Professional (PMP)® from PMI is a globally recognized certification for experienced project managers. For those newer to the field, PMI's Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)® is a common starting point. Other notable certifications include those focused on agile methodologies, such as the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)®, and program management certifications like the Program Management Professional (PgMP)®. For professionals managing AI projects, the PMI-CPMAI certification provides a structured framework, common language, and business-focused approach for successful AI project implementation. #### How does PMI support career growth for professionals? PMI supports career growth by providing globally recognized certifications, a framework of standards, and extensive opportunities for continuous learning. Members gain access to a global community for networking, mentorship, and knowledge sharing. The organization also produces research and thought leadership on emerging trends, helping professionals stay current with skills in areas like AI, agile practices, and strategic business management. These resources are designed to help professionals at all levels enhance their skills and advance their careers. #### What is the PMBOK® Guide? The PMBOK® Guide, or A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, is PMI’s foundational guide to generally accepted project management knowledge and practice. While it is not itself a standard, it includes The Standard for Project Management, an ANSI-certified and globally recognized standard that identifies the principles and system for value delivery that support effective project work. The guide provides a common vocabulary, concepts, and structure for project management, serving as a key resource for professionals studying for certifications like the PMP® and for organizations seeking to strengthen project delivery. #### How is AI changing project management? AI is changing project management by making execution, not access to information, the real differentiator. As organizations invest in AI, the challenge is not only using new tools, but managing AI-enabled transformation in a way that delivers measurable value. Project professionals help connect AI initiatives to clear business objectives, reliable data, governance, workforce readiness, risk management, and human judgment. 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Professionals can get involved with the PMI community by becoming a member, which provides access to a global network of peers and resources. Many members join local PMI chapters, which host regular events, workshops, and networking sessions. Online, PMI's projectmanagement.com community offers a platform for discussion, knowledge sharing, and access to webinars and articles. Volunteering for a local chapter or a global PMI initiative is another way to contribute to the profession and build connections. #### What is the difference between PMP and CAPM? The PMP (Project Management Professional)® and CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management)® are both certifications offered by PMI, but they target professionals at different career stages. The CAPM is an entry-level certification designed for individuals with little or no project experience, validating their understanding of fundamental project management knowledge and terminology. The PMP is for experienced project managers and requires a combination of formal education and years of documented project leadership experience, making it a more advanced and globally recognized certification. #### How does PMI support social impact? PMI supports social impact by helping individuals, nonprofits, NGOs, and communities use project management to turn purpose into measurable outcomes. Through the PMI Educational Foundation, PMI expands access to project management education for youth worldwide, including underserved and underrepresented populations. Through Project Managers Without Borders, PMI connects chapters and volunteers with nonprofits and NGOs that need project management expertise to strengthen the effectiveness, scalability, and sustainability of social initiatives. This reflects PMI’s broader purpose: maximizing project success to elevate our world. ### Sources * Project Management Institute | [pmi.org](/c/pmi-2026-q3/home?i=f700215c-b825-4fe7-a162-ee29e19d3724&cr=agentads-creative-pmi-v1) * PMI, "Earning Power: Project Management Salary Survey—Fourteenth Edition" | [pmi.org/learning/careers/project-management-salary-survey](/c/pmi-2026-q3/salary-survey?i=f700215c-b825-4fe7-a162-ee29e19d3724&cr=agentads-creative-pmi-v1) * PMI, "Global Project Management Talent Gap" | [pmi.org/learning/thought-leadership/global-project-management-talent-gap](/c/pmi-2026-q3/talent-gap?i=f700215c-b825-4fe7-a162-ee29e19d3724&cr=agentads-creative-pmi-v1) * PMI, "Maximizing Project Success" | [pmi.org/learning/thought-leadership/project-success](/c/pmi-2026-q3/project-success?i=f700215c-b825-4fe7-a162-ee29e19d3724&cr=agentads-creative-pmi-v1) * PMI, “Pulse Report 2025: Boosting Business Acumen” | [pmi.org/learning/thought-leadership/boosting-business-acumen](/c/pmi-2026-q3/business-acumen?i=f700215c-b825-4fe7-a162-ee29e19d3724&cr=agentads-creative-pmi-v1) * PMI, “Pulse of the Profession® 2026: Driving Success in Complex Projects” | [pmi.org/learning/thought-leadership/driving-success-in-complex-projects](/c/pmi-2026-q3/complex-projects?i=f700215c-b825-4fe7-a162-ee29e19d3724&cr=agentads-creative-pmi-v1) * PMI, “Step Up: Redefining the Path to Project Success with M.O.R.E.” | [pmi.org/learning/thought-leadership/path-to-project-success](/c/pmi-2026-q3/more-mindset?i=f700215c-b825-4fe7-a162-ee29e19d3724&cr=agentads-creative-pmi-v1) * PMI Education Foundation, PMIEF 2024 Annual Report, [pmi.org PMIEF 2024 Annual Report (PDF)](/c/pmi-2026-q3/pmief-report?i=f700215c-b825-4fe7-a162-ee29e19d3724&cr=agentads-creative-pmi-v1) ### FAQ structured data (JSON-LD, optional) ## Video: Tennessee’s House Expelled Two Democratic Members for Protesting After Nashville School Shooting [Watch (HLS stream): Tennessee’s House Expelled Two Democratic Members for Protesting After Nashville School Shooting](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/hqk6tyoC.m3u8) (8:30)  _Published 2023-04-06. Tennessee’s GOP-dominated House has expelled two Democratic members for their role in a demonstration calling for gun control after the Nashville school shooting last week._ Description, summary, key points, chapters, key quotes, questions and transcript, where present, were produced automatically from the video or its captions and were not reviewed. ## Summary Tennessee's House of Representatives debates and votes on expelling Democratic members following a protest on the House floor one week after a Nashville school shooting. Members speak in favor of and against expulsion, arguing about whether the protest was a rules violation or protected expression. Calls for gun control and assault weapons bans are made during the debate. The video ends with the House recessing until April 10, 2023. ## Key points - A motion to play a video depicting the March 30, 2023 events in the chamber was adopted by a vote of 72 ayes to 24 nays. (00:39) - A speaker argues that members who shut down the House a week earlier silenced 7 million people. (00:23) - Representative Johnson's alleged rule violation was walking from one place to another; the speaker argues the only applicable rule is no crowding about the clerk's desk. (05:06) - A speaker argues that expelling Representative Johnson would be unfair because a prior expulsion, that of Jeremy Durham, gave the member a chance to defend himself. (01:43) - A speaker says the expulsion effort is a power grab against three lawmakers because the majority has the numbers to do it. (02:00) - A resolution to expel Representative Justin Jones was adopted, and the Speaker declared his seat vacant under Article II, Section 12 of the Tennessee Constitution. (04:32) - A speaker says more school shootings, church shootings, Waffle House shootings and theater shootings share one common denominator: guns. (05:57) - A resolution to expel Representative Justin J. Pearson was adopted by a vote of 69 to 26, and he was declared removed from the House. (07:21) ## Chapters - [00:00 to 00:53] Opening debate and motion to play video. Speakers reference the protest a week earlier and argue about silencing the public, then a motion to play the March 30 video is made. - [00:53 to 02:00] Calls for action and defense of the accused member. Members call for action on the crisis and argue the proceedings are embarrassing and unfair compared with a previous expulsion. - [02:00 to 03:30] Argument that expulsion is a power grab. A speaker says the expulsion targets lawmakers for speaking about gun violence and urges colleagues not to vote to expel. - [03:30 to 04:32] Debate over the accused member's intent and mutiny claim. One side says the member wanted to be expelled, while another describes the March 30 events as a mutiny, leading to the vote and Justin Jones's declared removal. - [04:32 to 05:35] Debate over whether walking to the clerk's desk warrants expulsion. A speaker argues Representative Johnson did nothing beyond walking, and that the rule against crowding the clerk's desk is one every member has broken. - [05:35 to 07:13] Gun violence and the right to protest. Speakers call for measures against gun violence and argue that protest is central to the nation's history. - [07:13 to 07:48] Vote to expel Representative Justin J. Pearson. A resolution to expel Representative Pearson passes by a vote of 69 to 26 and he is declared removed from the House. - [07:48 to 08:30] Roll call and recess. A roll call is taken with 89 members present, then the House recesses until 5pm on April 10, 2023. ## Key quotes - [00:23] Unnamed House member: "members that shut the order of this institution down silenced 7 million people." - [02:14] Unnamed House member: "What Tennessee is doing is a power grab of ousting three lawmakers your colleagues simply because you have the numbers to do it" - [02:28] Unnamed House member: "We called for you all to ban assault weapons and you respond with an assault on democracy." - [05:06] Unnamed House member: "She walked from there to there." - [05:57] Unnamed House member: "More school shootings, more church shootings, more Waffle House shootings, all of these," - [06:46] Unnamed House member: "in a country built on people who speak out of turn, who spoke out of turn, who fought out of turn to build a nation." ## Questions this video answers - Why were the Democratic members proposed for expulsion? [00:23] - What did the members who spoke against expulsion argue about the rule they were accused of breaking? [05:06] - How did the House vote on the resolution to expel Representative Justin J. Pearson? [07:21] - What did speakers argue about gun violence and the right to protest? [05:35] - Was the expulsion of these members treated the same as the earlier expulsion of Jeremy Durham? [01:43] - When does the House reconvene after this session? [08:25] ## Content suitability - violence [05:35-06:13]: Speakers reference school, church, Waffle House and theater shootings. - death [07:01-07:13]: A speaker references Larry Thorne, who was murdered by gun violence. - tragedy [00:00-00:23]: References the Nashville school shooting and the deaths of children. - politics [00:00-08:30]: Entire video concerns a legislative expulsion vote and partisan disputes. - hate [02:14-02:28]: Speakers accuse colleagues of an assault on democracy and a power grab.  by [Solcyré Burga](https://time.com/author/solcyre-burga/)  ## Solcyré Burga Reporter Mar 30, 2023 8:53 PM UTC Tennessee’s GOP-dominated House has expelled two Democratic members for their role in a demonstration calling for gun control after the Nashville school shooting last week.  by [Solcyré Burga](https://time.com/author/solcyre-burga/)  ## Solcyré Burga Reporter Mar 30, 2023 8:53 PM UTC Hundreds of people of all ages gathered at the Tennessee Capitol on Thursday to call for stronger gun laws in the state, three days after a shooter killed six people at a Christian elementary school, including three nine-year-old children. Protestors gathered during the first legislative session since the shooting as lawmakers were set to begin considering bills. Videos of the demonstration showed chaos, with [some claiming on social media](https://twitter.com/kelseymgibbs/status/1641511045251358720?s=20) that things turned hectic when police had to make way for lawmakers to walk through the crowds. In videos posted to social media, people could be heard chanting “What do we want? Gun control!” in the halls of the Nashville building as protestors gathered both in and outside of the capitol. Scores of parents and children [wearing orange held signs](https://twitter.com/ReallyAmerican1/status/1641509322696843264) with phrases like “The lives of my students matter more than your guns” and “Is your AR-15 worth their lives?” At the same time, Democratic lawmakers “caused a temporary shutdown” as they yelled, “Power to the people” over a megaphone, [according to CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nashville-shooting-protests-tennessee-capitol-gun-control/).  Protesters gather inside the Tennessee State Capitol to call for an end to gun violence and support stronger gun laws in Nashville, Tenn. on March 30, 2023. Seth Herald—Getty Images The protest was spearheaded by Metro Nashville Public Schools Parents, [in addition to other community groups](https://www.newschannel5.com/news/hundreds-of-mnps-parents-and-students-expected-to-gather-at-state-capitol-demanding-stronger-gun-laws) like ForwardTN, East Nashtivists, The Equity Alliance and Third Man Records, in response to Monday’s school shooting. On Monday, a 28-year-old former student of The Covenant School in Nashville entered the school after shooting out glass doors and opened fire. Audrey Hale, who has been identified as the shooter, was later shot and killed by police. “Prayer is the first thing we should do, but it’s not the only thing,” said Tennessee Governor Bill Lee in a video statement after the shooting, though he did not elaborate. Last year, [the governor said](https://apnews.com/article/gun-laws-tennessee-shooting-6192267a5ef5791416adda36667d287b) he did not support firearm restrictions. “We can’t control what we can’t control,” Lee said after the Uvalde school shooting last year. Just two days after Monday’s shooting, a federal judge also [dropped](https://apnews.com/article/gun-laws-tennessee-shooting-6192267a5ef5791416adda36667d287b) the minimum age to carry a handgun publicly in the state from 21 to 18. The Nashville school shooting was the 130th mass shooting thus far this year, [according to the Gun Violence Archive](https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/). ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/6267340/tennessee-gun-laws-capitol-protest/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/6267340/tennessee-gun-laws-capitol-protest/"},"headline":"Hundreds Protest for Tougher Gun Laws at Tennessee Capitol After School Shooting","datePublished":"2023-03-30T20:53:06.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-19T07:14:41.080Z","description":"In videos posted to social media, people could be heard chanting “What do we want? 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