Politics

Montana House unrest echoes ‘Tennessee Three’

Protesters supporting Rep. Zooey Zephyr (D), who has been barred from speaking on the floor, were arrested.
Montana Democratic Rep. Zooey Zephyr hoists a microphone into the air on Monday, April 24, 2023, as her supporters interrupt proceedings in the state House by chanting “Let Her Speak!” in Helena, Mont. Republican leaders in the Legislature didn’t let Zephyr, who is transgender, speak on the floor for the third consecutive day because she refuses to apologize for calling GOP lawmakers out for supporting a ban on gender-affirming care. (AP Photo/Amy Beth Hanson)

Law enforcement officers, some in full riot gear, arrested seven people and removed boisterous protesters from the Montana House gallery on Monday, after yells and chants in support of Rep. Zooey Zephyr (D) ground the chamber to a halt.

The dramatic scenes echoed recent gun control protests in Tennessee, where Democrats and left-wing protesters were pitted against Republican leaders determined to maintain decorum, and have thrust Zephyr into the national spotlight.

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