Conservative Protestors Claim Threats Of Expulsion From Future GOP Events

Photos / Videos provided by A.J. DePriest

Published August 2, 2021

The Tennessee Conservative Staff –

On Friday evening, July 30th, protestors gathered outside the Westin Hotel in downtown Chattanooga to protest against Governor Bill Lee, who was a speaker at the Hamilton County GOP’s annual Lincoln Day Dinner. 

The peaceful protest against Lee was led by supporters of the Tennessee Neighbors for Liberty whose grievances against Lee included state-funded marketing promoting the COVID vaccine, limiting Tennessean’s liberties and failure to deliver on many points in his 10-point contract “Ten for Tenn” that he made with Tennesseans on the campaign trail. 

On Thursday, preceding the event, the Chairman of the Hamilton County GOP, Arch Trimble IV, warned Glenda Pappu, president of Tennessee Neighbors for Liberty, that if she and other Republicans protested, they would be banned from party functions, according to David Tullis of NoogaRadio 92.7FM. 

The Tennessee Conservative reached out to Trimble and he replied, “No comment.”

Tennessee Neighbors for Liberty member, A.J DePriest said, “He threatened to doxx us and punish us.  What he said was, he was going to make sure we didn’t attend any other Republican events in the state. I mean — we’re conservatives. We all voted for Gov. Lee. So, if we can’t criticize him, who can — people who didn’t vote for him?” 

However, the group followed through with their protest and Pappu spoke with TV reporters, rallied the protestors and touted a sign, her principles leading her to potentially break from party favor.  

Tullis reported that David Queen, Pachyderm Club secretary, took names of party dissenters with smartphone snaps. 

Roughly thirty picketers stood on the sidewalk outside the venue, holding up signs. 

“I’m a black male conservative,” says Walter Hambrick, “and I am here because I disagree with all the new mask mandates they’re trying to do. I do believe they are trying to do this to mandate the vaccine. I will not take that mess. I will not put poison in my veins. I believe the vaccines are the reason we are dealing with the Delta variant.” 

His poster depicted Gov. Lee and Bill Gates, with the words, “World depopulation advocate through vaccines.” 

Earlier on Friday, Gov. Lee extended the state of emergency to August 31^st. 

Also on Friday, Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly imposed a “walking mask mandate” for people moving about in city-owned buildings reacting to statements made by Chattanooga’s Director for Community Health. 

Dr. Mary Lambert said “This virus is spreading as fast as chicken pox, and the health effects of this mutated COVID-19 virus — even on younger individuals — are appalling and costly.  Unvaccinated people in the emergency room are begging for the vaccine, but for far too many of them it’s far too late.”