Protestors In Chattanooga Hold Tennessee Lawmakers Partially Responsible For U.S. Capitol Riots

Photo: From Left – Senator Marsha Blackburn, Senator Bill Hagerty and Congressman Chuck Fleischmann with Miller Park, Chattanooga in the background.

Published January 12, 2021

Chattanooga, TN – A group of protestors gathered outside Miller Park in Chattanooga on Saturday voicing their belief that local lawmakers had a role in the riots at the U.S. Capitol last Wednesday.

The protestors expressed that Tennessee lawmakers should be held accountable for the role they played. 

Called out specifically were U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty, along with U.S. Congressman Chuck Fleischmann. 

Blackburn and Hagerty were vocal about their opposition to certifying the Electoral College votes releasing a joint statement the first weekend in January.

“Voter fraud has posed a persistent challenge in our elections, although its breadth and scope are disputed. By any measure, the allegations of fraud and irregularities in the 2020 election exceed any in our lifetimes,” the statement said. “Deep distrust of our democratic processes will not magically disappear. It should concern us all. And it poses an ongoing threat to the legitimacy of any subsequent administrations.” 

However, their positions changed in response to the riots in D.C., when only two Democrats and two Republicans from Tennessee’s 11-member congressional delegation followed through with their previously-released statements. 

“I will vote in support of certifying the electoral college results,” Blackburn tweeted the night of Wednesday, January 6th. 

Blackburn and Hagerty condemned the violence in D.C. that, at most recent reports, has a death toll of five. 

One of the organizers of the Miller Park protest, Allison Gorman said, “After inciting the violence, they back-peddle then they talk about how they don’t advocate violence, but you can’t have it both ways,” Gorman said, “They (Hagerty and Blackburn) are political opportunists and realized that it wouldn’t look good.” 

Congressman Chuck Fleischmann also has said he will object to certification, citing precedent of objections made by Democrats to the 2000, 2004 and 2016 election results. 

“There are a large number of Americans who do not have faith in the integrity of the 2020 presidential election,” Fleischmann said in a statement. “It would be a disservice to our future elections if we certify the Electoral College results and move on when there has not been any attempt to put the worries of many Americans at ease with a thorough investigation into the allegations of fraud and questions of election integrity.” 

Fleischmann did cast his vote to support the objection effort stating that, “The overwhelming majority of my constituents before the vote and after the vote have affirmed my vote,” said Fleischmann. “I’ve never incited violence; I condemn the violence immediately.” 

Organizers of the protest in Miller Park, Allison Gorman and Gary Smith stated that they hope other lawmakers will pay attention to their message expressing that it is often ignored by Congressman Fleischman. 

“What we wanted to do is hold him and also Blackburn and Hagerty publicly accountable for the role they played,” said Gorman. 

Gorman’s daughter, Meg Gorman, ran against Fleischmann on the Democratic ticket in the 2020 election.  

Attendees of the demonstration stated that the rhetoric of Tennessee lawmakers and the public support they gave President Trump’s claims of Election Fraud added fuel to the fire. 

One of the people attending the demonstration, voiced his anger at “the irresponsibility of the lawmakers.”   

“The election here was all about who can kiss Mr. Trump the most,” he said. 

Based on a tweet pinned to the top of Blackburn’s Twitter page, she still appears to support President Trump. 

“They should stop that (supporting the President), but I don’t they are going to. I think we need to get better people in office,” said Gorman. 

Some of the protestors at Saturday’s event are asking Blackburn, Hagerty and Fleischmann to step down from office. 

A petition was circulated at the event and signed by the people there, to demand Fleischmann’s office to provide proof of Election fraud to date.   

However, according to reports, Fleischmann’s office has produced no proof as of yet.