Footage from a 2019 protest at the Tennessee State Capitol has resurfaced, showing Democratic congressional candidate Aftyn Behn being removed from the office of Bill Lee during a demonstration organized by activists. Behn and several women affiliated with the activist group Enough Is Enough Tennessee staged a sit-in on April 17, 2019, seeking a meeting with Lee to urge him to call for the resignation of then–state Rep. David Byrd, who at the time faced allegations of sexual misconduct.
According to reports, the protest escalated when the doors to the governor’s office briefly opened and demonstrators attempted to enter. Security personnel blocked the group and began removing participants from the area. Video later shared by NewsChannel 5 Nashville shows Behn being escorted out by security officers while shouting as authorities cleared the hallway. State troopers warned demonstrators they could face arrest if they refused to leave the building.
While several protesters complied with the order, Behn and others remained and were subsequently taken into custody. Additional footage from a session of the 111th General Assembly later that year shows Behn again interrupting proceedings from the gallery of the state House chamber while demanding Byrd’s resignation. Security officers escorted her from the chamber, issued a citation, and released her later that evening.
