Liberal activists launch 'Moral Monday' at state Capitol

Activists representing unions, a student group and other left-leaning organizations launched a new protest movement Monday evening with a rally inside the state Capitol.

About 60 protestors gathered for the first of what could become a series of events meant to fire up liberal voters ahead of the fall elections and keep them energized afterward. Calling their event a "Moral Monday" — a reference to much larger protests that began in in the North Carolina Capitol last year — the group pressed for stronger labor representation, the repeal of new voter identification requirements and the expansion of TennCare, the state's Medicaid program.

"This is what? Our house," organizer Justin Jones said, leading the group in a call-and-response. "They're scared of us."

State police, lobbyists and other bystanders looked on as the group protested for about an hour outside the closed doors of the state Senate and House of Representatives. The protest did not disrupt proceedings in either chamber, and the group appeared to disperse peacefully without any arrests.

The group included a few ministers, several activists from the United Auto Workers and representatives from organizations such as Jobs for Justice and Tennessee Citizen Action. Jones, a freshman at Fisk University, was one of a handful of students who attended.

Moral Monday rallies in Raleigh, N.C., have drawn far larger crowds, sometimes in the tens of thousands, to protest similar issues. Progressive groups hope to duplicate their success in other states, like Tennessee, that have large Republican majorities.

This Monday is likely to be the last on the calendar for the Tennessee General Assembly, but Jones said organizers plan to follow up with voter education and mobilization efforts. He also said the group could restart the protests when the legislature reconvenes next January.

Reach Chas Sisk at 615-259-8283 and on Twitter @chassisk.