Activist Incident at Tennessee Capitol

In a video that came to light in April 2019, Aftin Behn, a Democratic candidate for Congress in Tennessee, can be seen crying loudly as security personnel lead her out of the office of Republican Governor Bill Lee.

Behn, along with other members of the activist group Enough Is Enough Tennessee, organized a sit-in at the state Capitol to urge Lee to address calls for the resignation of Republican state Rep. David Byrd, who was facing allegations of sexual misconduct at that time. On April 17, 2019, they attempted to enter the governor’s office when the door opened, resulting in Behn being escorted away by security.

Footage posted by NewsChannel 5 from Nashville shows Behn screaming as she is pulled from the office, and she eventually drops to her knees, sobbing on the floor.

State troopers warned the demonstrators that any further actions would lead to arrests, and some urged compliance. Despite this, Behn and several others stayed in the building, leading to their quick arrests.

A month later, Behn was again seen on video during the 111th General Assembly session, calling for Byrd’s resignation from the sidelines of the state House chamber. Once more, security forcibly removed her from the area, but she was later released that night.

Behn is currently challenging Republican candidate Matt Van Epps, who previously served as Governor Lee’s commissioner, in the race for U.S. Representative of Tennessee’s 7th District. A special election will take place on December 2 due to the resignation of former Congressman Mark Greene.

In more recent comments, Behn has openly criticized Tennessee, referring to it as a “racist” and “Godforsaken” state in a video that emerged in 2023. During a February 2020 appearance on a podcast, she expressed her disdain for everything about Nashville.