IN AN extraordinary act of political retaliation, Tennessee Republicans expelled two Democratic lawmakers from the state legislature on Thursday for their role in a protest calling for more gun control in the aftermath of a deadly school shooting in Nashville. 

A third Democrat was narrowly spared by a one-vote margin.

The split votes drew accusations of racism, with lawmakers ousting representatives Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, who are both black, while Representative Gloria Johnson, who is white, survived the vote on her expulsion. 

Republicans denied that race was a factor.

The three joined protests last week as hundreds of demonstrators packed the state capitol to call for passage of gun control measures and approached the front of the house chamber chanting through a megaphone. 

This came days after the shooting at the Covenant School, where six people were killed, including three children.

Republican leaders said the removals were necessary to avoid setting a precedent that lawmakers’ disruptions of house proceedings through protest would be tolerated.

At an evening rally Mr Jones said: “Rather than pass laws that will address red flags and banning assault weapons and universal background checks, they passed resolutions to expel their colleagues.

“And they think that the issue is over. We’ll see you on Monday.”