Some see age-old playbook in new Tennessee protest law
August 31, 2020 10:40AM AKDT
By KIMBERLEE KRUESI Associated Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee shocked civil rights advocates after Gov. Bill Lee signed a new law that increases penalties and fines for common protest activities. The new law even strips away voting rights for people who pitch a tent overnight on the Capitol grounds. That’s now a felony, punishable by up to six years in prison. But outrage over racial injustice isn’t going away, and civil rights advocates say the law was pulled from an age-old playbook that hasn’t stood up to history. Young Black activist Justin Jones say Tennessee Republicans are attacking voting and protests because they’re afraid of a more diverse America.