Protestors rally in downtown Knoxville to oppose deployment of National Guard to Memphis

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - Anyone who was driving around Knoxville on Saturday may have seen protestors along the side of the road.

Protestors took to the streets in several cities across Tennessee to stand up against the White House’s decision to send the National Guard to Memphis.

Previous Coverage: Trump deploys National Guard to Memphis, calling it a ‘replica’ of his crackdown on Washington

President Trump signed the order earlier this month to combat crime, saying the goal would be to stamp out crime in a way that he says sending in the National Guard and federalizing the local police force has in Washington.

Some people don’t agree with the decision, including Indivisible Tennessee. The group and its supporters came together in downtown Knoxville on Saturday. They said there is no need for the National Guard in Memphis, adding that it is a waste of money.

“It means a lot because when I first started, we got a lot of boos and not a lot of honks, and now it’s a lot more car honks and support than anything,” said Sanyiah Cathcart with Indivisible Tennessee. “I think people are tired. Prices are too high, and people don’t want troops on their street. It’s not going to help anything.”

Cathcart saw the move as being that of a political stunt instead of helping residents across the state.

“They’re not in support for Memphis or all people in Memphis,” Cathcart said. “They’re just using it as a political stunt. They need to focus on the people in Memphis, in Tennessee, the homeless people, the homeless community. This is not helping. They need to show us that they care about us too, and not just the rich.”

These protests come just one day after Governor Bill Lee announced that personnel from 13 different agencies, including over 300 Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers, will be on the ground in Memphis starting Monday.

Previous Coverage: $100 million funding, 13 agencies, and more—Gov. Lee lays out new plan for Memphis safety

Lee said he believes this is the right time and will benefit the people of Memphis.

“This has to work, and I know we all believe very much that this is the moment in time that we have been given to collaboratively work together for the people of Memphis, and Memphians are going to see that as this unfolds,” Lee said. “We have to do this for the people who live and work and worship and play, their children can go on the streets. We have to do this for the people that live in Memphis.“

Lee also said that never before has a city in the United States had access to the level of resources that is about to be made in Memphis.