By Nicole Silverio
Democratic Tennessee congressional candidate Aftyn Behn derailed a session in the Tennessee state Legislature by screaming at the top of her lungs as she was forcibly removed from the chamber in a resurfaced video from May 2019.
Behn is running to represent Tennessee’s 7th District in the U.S. Congress and is facing off against Republican candidate Matt Van Epps, a former commissioner for Lee’s administration. She stated on the “Year old GRITS” podcast in February 2020 that she hated everything about Nashville and also called Tennessee a “godforsaken” state in 2023.
Behn also called Tennessee “racist,” claimed that college sororities are “a staple of white supremacy,” and has expressed support for taxpayer-funded surgeries for transgender minors.
Behn, who is currently running to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, got escorted out of the chamber of the Tennessee legislature by security, as she dramatically yelled at the then-Republican Tennessee state Rep. David Byrd and former Tennessee House speaker Glen Casada to “resign,” according to footage posted by The Tennessee Holler. She was one of four protesters to camp outside of Byrd’s office in May 2019 as they called on him to step down.
The footage showed Behn shouting at Casada from the wing of the House chambers.
“I’m here today on behalf of communities that you have silenced today in this legislative session,” Behn shouted. “You have been violent to our various communities this entire legislative session. You have stopped any accountability! You have been taken out! You have been violent and extreme towards people of color, towards women, towards minorities! You have failed! This is unacceptable behavior! You shouldn’t do this! This is the worst administration!” (RELATED: Democrat Congressional Candidate Aftyn Behn Repeatedly Refuses To Walk Back Her Anti-Police Rhetoric)
“You have to resign,” Behn screamed.
Behn was cited and released from police custody later that evening, News Channel 5 Nashville reported in 2019.
In 2018, two women accused Byrd of inappropriately touching them when he coached basketball, according to The Associated Press. He had never been charged with any crimes in connection to the matter and he denied all wrongdoing.
Behn was part of the activist group Enough is Enough, which advocated for Byrd’s resignation over the allegations. A month earlier, she attempted to enter Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s office to call for Byrd’s resignation and got forcibly escorted out of the building by security.
