Nashville Mother Arrested, Forcibly Removed from Tennessee House Gallery Amidst Rising Tensions
Peaceful Protester Turned Arrestee
In the heart of Nashville, Tennessee, a peaceful protester and mother was forcibly removed from the Tennessee House gallery amidst chaotic scenes. Allison Polidor, a mother turned activist in light of Nashville’s Covenant School shooting, found herself being ejected from the west gallery of the house, where she held a small sign protesting against GOP plans for school vouchers and guns.
Despite her peaceful demeanor and refusal to actively disrupt the proceedings, an order was given by House Speaker Cameron Sexton, demanding a clearance in the chamber’s west gallery. His instructions were triggered by other demonstrators who, after a vote on the state budget, vociferously shouted “shame” and “Ku Klux Kameron”.
Tensions Escalate
Most protesters left the gallery as per Sexton’s order, but Polidor, a fearless advocate for her cause, stood her ground. Even after continuous requests from troopers asserting, “You have to leave, you know what’s going to happen if you don’t leave,” she insisted on her right to stay despite the increasing tensions. After a tense ten minute standoff, she was physically removed by two members of the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
Representatives Intervene
Democratic lawmakers, Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, who witnessed the incident, escorted the visibly distraught and crying Polidor into an elevator. The whole incident played out amidst a throng of other protesters who flocked to the ground floor of the state Capitol.
Inside a conference room, the protesters ensued a sit-in, refusing the trooper’s orders to leave. Polidor strongly stood her ground, repeating over and over that she had been quiet and not done anything wrong.
Arrest and Release
Eventually, Polidor was taken out through the back door, placed in handcuffs and loaded into a Tennessee Highway Patrol vehicle. She recounted, “They put handcuffs on me, and they put me in the back of the Tennessee Highway Patrol car… They cuffed me in the front”. She was issued a citation for disrupting official proceedings and was released later.
A Call to Action
The Nashville mother, known for her activism after the horrific school shooting, had also been removed from a House committee room last year for refusing to put down a small sign in protest.
Polidor’s removal has thrown a spotlight on the treatment of protestors, evoking conversations about their fundamental rights. Her powerful message in the aftermath resonates with many; “We’re dealing with a really unjust system, that everybody needs to be paying attention.”
