The Republican-controlled Tennessee House of Representatives on Thursday voted to expel a Democratic state lawmaker after he participated in a protest against gun violence. 

The lawmakers voted 72-25 to expel Democratic state Rep. Justin Jones and are set to consider also ousting Democratic Reps. Gloria Johnson and Justin Pearson for their participation in the recent demonstrations.

Protesters descended on the Tennessee Capitol to protest gun violence in the wake of a mass shooting last month that left three 9-year-olds and three adults dead at a Catholic school in Nashville.

“To those who here will cast a vote for expulsion, I was fighting for your children, too, to live free from the terror of school shootings,” Jones said in a speech to defend himself just before the vote. He said it was a “very dark day for Tennessee, because it will signal to the nation that there is no democracy in this state.”

“If I’m expelled from here, I’ll be back out there with the people every week demanding that you act. If you expel me, I will continue to show up because this issue is too important,” Jones said. 
Demonstrators could be heard in the background of the floor debate.

The three lawmakers were seen in videos entering the chamber on Thursday with their arms interlocked and fists raised, surrounded by demonstrators. The gun safety advocacy group March for Our Lives and other groups tagged the trio of state lawmakers as “The Tennessee Three.”