The top Republican in Tennessee’s House called Thursday’s protests over gun violence at the Tennessee Capitol an “insurrection,” drawing comparisons to the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, made the comments during an appearance on the Hal Show on 98.7 FM.

“Two of the members, Reps. (Justin) Jones and (Gloria) Johnson, have been very vocal about Jan. 6 in Washington, D.C., about what that was,” Sexton said. “What they did today was at least equivalent, maybe worse, depending on how you look at it, of doing an insurrection in the capitol.”

House Democratic leaders on Friday said Sexton is trying to “change the narrative” and demanded Republicans issue an apology for referring to parents and children who went to the Capitol as “insurrectionists.”

More than a thousand people, including many teenagers, showed up to the Tennessee Capitol calling for lawmakers to address gun violence after six people were killed — including three children — in a mass shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville.

Protesters started their rally in front of the State Capitol at War Memorial Plaza at 8 a.m. They then proceeded to the statehouse shortly afterward, entering in an orderly manner and passing through a security point operated by Tennessee State Troopers.

The demonstrations in Nashville on Thursday were not violent, and the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security said no arrests were made, no use of force incidents were reported and no property was damaged.