Shouting protesters disrupted the proceedings of the Montana House of Representatives on Monday, leading to several arrests of people demonstrating in support of a transgender lawmaker who is being silenced after lashing out at colleagues.

In a scene reminiscent of what happened at the Tennessee state capitol building last month, demonstrators filled the gallery and chanted “Let her speak!” when the GOP-led chamber voted to uphold a gag order on state Rep. Zooey Zephyr (D-Missoula), who was in the room and held up a microphone.

Protesters chanted, "LET HER SPEAK" at a Montana House Session, while Rep. Zooey Zephyr held a microphone in the air. Republican leaders in the legislature doubled down on their decision to continue to forbid her from participating in debate.
Full Story: https://t.co/ABth9kV3N3 pic.twitter.com/IqabIkO07h

— NBC Montana (@NBCMontana) April 24, 2023

After the protesters ignored demands that they come to order, Republican House Speaker Matt Regier asked the sergeant of arms to clear the gallery and directed members to move to the side of the chamber. Police in riot gear forcibly removed the protesters and at least seven individuals were arrested, per Montana Public Radio.

#mtpol #mtleg pic.twitter.com/2Bg5tYFfQQ

— Holly Michels (@hollykmichels) April 24, 2023

Holly Michels, head of the Montana State News Bureau, tweeted videos showing some of what transpired during the arrests.

“House Republicans condemn violence and will always stand for civil debate and respect for our process of government,” Montana House GOP leadership said in a statement.

pic.twitter.com/mj9z9bI3L6

— Holly Michels (@hollykmichels) April 24, 2023

“Today’s riot by far-left agitators damages our discourse and endangered legislators and staff. Their actions did not represent Montana values,” they added. “We want to thank our law enforcement for maintaining order and protecting the safety of everyone at the Capitol. House Leadership will stand firm in our commitment to decorum, safety, and order. We will uphold the people’s will that sent 68 Republicans to Helena.”

NBC Montana reported the standoff began last week when Zephyr, who identifies as a transgender person, scolded lawmakers who support legislation that would ban transgender surgeries for minors. “I hope the next time there’s an invocation when you bow your heads in prayer, you see the blood on your hands,” Zephyr said, referring to the opening prayer.

Regier indicated Zephyr will not be recognized to speak on the floor until an apology is given. “There’s a reason the speaker can choose not to recognize. I believe that’s there … to [uphold] decorum moving forward. So until that trust is restored and I can assure the integrity of the House is a priority, there’s going to be a pause,” he said, per the Montana Free Press.

Zephyr is showing no signs of backing down.

Today—when the Speaker continued to not recognize me as a duly elected official—my constituents & community protested on behalf of their democratic right to be heard.

I raised my mic and stood in solidarity with them. I am devoted to those who rise in defense of democracy. pic.twitter.com/MvvzlSz7Vb

— Rep. Zooey Zephyr (@ZoAndBehold) April 25, 2023

“For the third consecutive day, I have been denied the opportunity to represent my constituents in the Montana legislature and to speak on their behalf,” Zephyr said in a statement Monday evening.

“When my constituents and community members witnessed my microphone being disabled, they courageously came forward to defend their democratic right to be heard — and some were arrested in the process,” Zephyr added. “I stood by them in solidarity and will continue to do so. As an elected representative, I am devoted to supporting those who speak in defense of democracy, as it is my duty to ensure their voices are heard and respected.”

Montana House Minority Leader Kim Abbott (D-Helena) released a statement voiced support for Zephyr.

“Today we saw Montanans show up and engage in the democratic process, and some of those Montanans were arrested,” Abbott said.  “To me, it’s an incredible statement in support of the trans, nonbinary, and Two Spirit community — and against the Republican agenda that would strip our neighbors of their basic rights, dignity, and humanity.”

America’s 12th president, Zachary Taylor, was a walking contradiction who came into power at a pivotal moment in American history, and his untimely demise may have cost the US a chance to avoid its devastating civil war.

A career military man, Taylor had little interest in politics and had never voted in a presidential election until he became a candidate himself in 1848. The son of a veteran of America’s Revolutionary War, Taylor joined the army in 1808 and served in the War of 1812, the Black Hawk War(1835) and the 2nd Seminole War(1837), rising to the rank of Brigadier General, although the defining moments of his career would occur during the Mexican-American War.

After the United States annexed Texas in 1845, it inherited the problem of a disputed border with Mexico — the US also had designs on the sparsely populated Mexican territory in what was now the American southwest. In 1846, President James K. Polk, who ran for office on a promise of “Manifest Destiny” sent Taylor and his men into the disputed land between the Rio Grande and Nueces River to extract territorial concessions from the Mexican government.

Mexico responded by shooting at Taylor’s men, killing 11 and triggering the Mexican-American War.

The war went disastrously for Mexico, and Taylor distinguished himself by winning a string of battles at Palo Alto, Buena Vista and Monterrey. By early 1848, Mexico surrendered and ceded roughly half of its territory to the United States.

“No soldier could face either danger or responsibility more calmly than he,” Ulysses S. Grant, who served under Zachary during the Mexican-American war, said of his former commander. “ He was known to every soldier in his army, and respected by all.”

The war created several new political realities: the careful balance of power between slave states and free states was called into question by the acquisition of so much new territory, and Zachary Taylor became a national hero. 

“The political balance stood precariously at 15 free states and 15 slave states,” Joseph Fornieri, Professor of Political Science at the Rochester Institute of Technology explained. “Any additional states would tip the balance one way or the other… If anyone was in a position to resolve it, Taylor seemed to be that man.”

President Polk, a Democrat, declined to seek reelection despite his own wide popularity due to failing health and a previous campaign promise to only serve a single term. The Whigs, who had seen great electoral success with war hero William Henry Harrison in 1840 and saw a Taylor presidential ticket as an ideal means of replicating that success, and courted him as their nominee. Taylor, himself not a particularly strong partisan of any kind, agreed.

Taylor was born in Virginia and was a wealthy landowner who controlled several plantations and over 300 slaves — he also opposed to slavery’s expansion into America’s newly acquired territories and was a firm supporter of the Union. During his presidency, he went so far as to threaten to hang potential secessionists.

Taylor would ultimately die 16 months into his first term – the precise cause is disputed but the historical consensus is that the cause was some sort of stomach infection, and none of the sources suggest any kind of foul play. Nevertheless, he was unable to forge any meaningful compromise, and his successor, Millard Fillmore, would oversee the Compromise of 1850, which was so loathed that it largely set into motion the series of events that would a cataclysmic Civil War that would kill more than 600,000 Americans to finally put an end to the abominable institution of slavery.

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