Protest in Alabama House gallery; activist escorted out
A protest in the Alabama House gallery caused the House to recess, Friday, May 8, 2026 – Photo from WAKA Action 8 News
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WAKA) – The Alabama House of Representatives recessed this morning after a protest broke out in the gallery over efforts to change Congressional district lines.
As members of the house we’re on the floor debating the redistricting bill, a group of protesters in the house gallery began chanting.
Action 8 News Chief Photographer captured these images of the disruption, which led to a female being escorted from the gallery by officers.
A protest in the House gallery caused the Alabama House of Representatives to go into recess, Friday, May 8, 2026 – Photo from WAKA Action 8 News
State Rep. Juandalynn Givan (D-Birmingham) told Action 8 News she went up to the gallery to try to de-escalate the situation. This is what she said was told happened:
“A Black girl, a young intelligent brilliant Black mind here in the state of Alabama, and this is what we have resorted to because she’s only exercising her right to free speech. The fact that she was on the freaking ground. There should’ve been another way to get her out of here or to de-escalate the situation. But to have her on the ground, with her face on the ground and her hands behind her back just because she’s protesting in here. They should’ve known emotions were going to flare today. This is a very emotional moment,” Givan said.
Tensions have been high at the Alabama State House, where the legislature has been in special session all week. Several protests have been held outside.
Lawmakers are considering bills to change Congressional districts before the November general election. This is happening because of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last week involving Louisiana. The court struck down a Black-majority Congressional district in that state on the grounds that race was too large of a factor in how it had been drawn up.
Three years ago, the federal courts rejected Alabama’s Congressional district map that had been drawn up by the legislature following the 2020 Census. Instead, the courts created its own map in order to give Black Alabama voters a greater chance of electing a second Black U.S. Representative. In 2024, Black Democrat Shomari Figures of Mobile was elected to represent Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District, joining Sewell as the state’s two Black members of its Congressional delegation.
Now, Republicans in the Alabama Legislature are hoping to return to the original map that they had passed. If that happens, Figures would be vulnerable in his re-election bid. However, when the courts drew up the new map that led to Figures’ election, it barred the Alabama Legislature from making any changes before the 2030 Census. State Republican leaders are appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court to allow them to take action now and not wait until then.
It is not known if the U.S. Supreme Court will rule on Alabama’s appeal before November. Republican lawmakers are attempting to pass this legislation in order to be prepared. Their bills also involve changing two Alabama State Senate districts for the same reasons. Those districts cover Montgomery County. The seats are currently held by Democratic State Sen. Kirk Hatcher and Republican State Sen. Will Barfoot.
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