Photo Essay: Nashville Keeps Marching Against Gun Violence

Gun safety organizations, activists and students join local and national faith leaders for a ​”Moral Monday”​ rally to address gun violence on April 17, 2023, in Nashville, Tennessee. Here, organizers gathered at the Mckendree United Methodist Church before marching to the State Capitol. (Photo by Michael Nigro)

Faith leaders carry empty caskets symbolizing victims to the Tennessee Capitol. Later they will attempt to bring the caskets into the Capitol chamber. (Photo by Michael Nigro)

Thousands participate in the march to the Capitol. (Photo by Michael Nigro)

Bishop William J. Barber II, one of the main organizers of the Moral Monday March, in front of the Tennessee State Capitol. In the wake of the March shooting at The Covenant School in the Green Hills neighborhood of Nashville, Barber helped mobilize around U.S. Rep ​Justin Jones​ (​D-Nashville​) and ​U.S. Rep ​Justin J. Pearson​ (​​D-Memphis​)​ ​who ​have drawn​ ​national attention​ ​pushing for gun safety laws. (Photo by Michael Nigro)

Thousands of clergy from Tennessee and around the nation, volunteers from major gun safety organizations and impacted leaders marched into the Tennessee State House Monday, forcing the House to abandon a vote on a controversial bill to arm teachers. (Photo by Michael Nigro)

U.S. Rep. ​Justin Jones (​​D-Nashville​)​ attempts to bring an empty casket into the Tennessee Capitol chamber with Bishop William J. Barber II but was turned away by the Sergeant of Arms of the House who stated that House rules did not allow props. (Photo by Michael Nigro)

Bishop Barber is let into the House chamber as a guest of Rep. Jones. Other gun safety advocates moved to the chamber’s upper gallery. (Photo by Michael Nigro)

A protester in the upper gallery raises a sign advocating for the Republican Tennessee speaker of the House, Cameron Sexton, to resign. The sign was quickly confiscated by a Tennessee State trooper. (Photo by Michael Nigro)

U.S. Rep. ​Justin J. Pearson​ (​​D-Memphis​) has entered the national spotlight as one of the strongest voices advocating for gun legislation. (Photo by Michael Nigro)

The gallery waited for hours for the House to vote on HB 1202 HB 1202, which would make it easier to arm teachers. (Photo by Michael Nigro)

With a packed gallery full of clergy and safety advocates waiting for the vote on HB1202, the Republicans tabled the vote and then took it off the calendar moments before the vote was to take place. (Photo by Michael Nigro)

“We’re winning, we’re winning,” Bishop Barber said to a crowd in the rotunda after the vote was abandoned. (Photo by Michael Nigro)