The View from Tennessee
Shortly after Donald Trump was reelected as President of the United States on January 20, 2025, a cascade of executive orders were issued from his desk—a hiring freeze on civil servants, the withdrawal from the WHO, a ferocious attack on immigration, a challenge to birthright citizenship, among others—sending American citizens and residents alike into states of panic, disorientation, and grief.In response to the President’s heinous acts, the 50501 movement emerged, quickly gaining traction nationwide. Those deeply disturbed by Trump’s actions eagerly participated in the movement’s protests. From “No Kings on President’s Day” to “Hands Off,” each protest garnered media attention nationwide, reverence from prominent liberal and leftist politicians, and disdain from the very conservative representatives that they so vehemently oppose. The protests that mobilized millions—primarily in blue states—garnered the most attention and admiration. But press coverage of the front lines, those catching stray bullets in red states, has remained eerily minimal.
UVOTN (United Volunteers and Organizers of Tennessee) is one of many organizations standing against the President and those who support his policies. Born from the 50501 movement, we at UVOTN, along with our sister organizations, faced a remarkably large obstacle compared to other states’ chapters. Arguably one of the most conservative states in America, organizing a significant dissenting base proved to be difficult. Only 57.6 percent of eligible voters cast a ballot on or before November 5, 2024, earning our state the measly spot #43 in voter turnout. And of those who did vote, about 64 percent voted for the man who turned his back to this country. Most days, the inaction of the former screams louder than the hatred of the latter.
Not only is protesting in numbers difficult, but increasingly dangerous. Tennessee is also among several red states with pathways to criminalize protests. In 2020, after racial justice demonstrations and protests against George Floyd’s murder, the Republican supermajority made it a felony to camp on state property, even in protest. Five years later, lawmakers are attempting to make anyone demonstrating on a road or sidewalk a felon with HB0729. Our lawmakers do not like dissent and are more than willing to rip out our Constitutional voices to ease their discomfort.
They attempt to bleed us dry with the laws they write in red ink.
Nevertheless, we persevered. And in doing so, we’ve built an army thousands strong with voices from all perspectives, talents of every sort. We’ve made noise louder than ever before.
Photo via United Volunteers and Organizers of Tennessee (UVOTN)
While we stand in solidarity with our fellow red states, as blue dots in a gargantuan sea of red, it’s fair to say Tennessean lawmakers pose a unique threat to our mission, rendering our work not only essential but critical. After ICE’s May raids in Nashville the ended with 196 people—the majority of which had no criminal record—detained without due process, Nashville mayor Freddie O’Connell condemned the raids, and, following an executive order from January 2024, demanded all documents containing communications with ICE and Nashville Metro police be transferred to the mayor’s office within one business day. In response U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles (TN) angrily posted on X. He berated the mayor’s lawful actions, wrongfully accused him of creating this executive order and called for a federal investigation into O’Connell’s handling of ICE communications, which is currently underway. Senator Marsha Blackburn (TN) backed up Ogles’ accusations, and, most outlandishly, also supported a federal investigation in Mayor O’Connell’s office.
Mayor O’Connell was following the law, but when that law required transparency from ICE, suddenly the law-abider was treated as the criminal.
The most wicked lie of all came to light May 30, 2025, when the Department of Homeland Security labeled Nashville and Shelby County, the home of Memphis, as sanctuary cities. This is an unprecedented move on their part, as in Tennessee, it is a felony to not just create a sanctuary city, but also a felony to vote in favor of sanctuary city policies. I’ll repeat: in Tennessee, it is a felony to vote in favor of sanctuary cities.
That alone should be enough to rattle Americans across the country.
One could learn all this and choose to say nothing. Choose to hide and remain silent. But may I remind anyone reading: they criminalize our beliefs because they fear our voices. Tennessee is already filled with guns, police, ICE, and permitless open-carriers. We don’t need to bring guns to this fight. We only need what they fear most: our voices. And this five-month-old movement has already been doing so in the thousands.
Lawmakers dressed in red play a wicked game. We at UVOTN will not let them win. If we truly have the right to bear arms, then we’ll holster our bullhorns at our hips.
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