https://www.kmov.com/news/we-were-all-alone-facing-an-angry-mob-central-west-end-couple-seen-pointing-gun/article_afbb1b2c-b98e-11ea-ba7e-b3452007bfc8.html

'We were all alone facing an angry mob'; Central West End couple seen pointing gun at protesters speaks

KMOV.com Staff

Updated 10 min ago | Posted on Jun 29, 2020

ST. LOUIS (KMOV.com) – Hundreds of protesters chanted and marched to St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson's home Sunday night calling for her resignation.

A group of 300 protesters, chanting "resign Lyda, take the cops with you," marched after Krewson read the names and addresses of demonstrators calling for police reform during a Friday afternoon Facebook Live video.

During the protest, a couple at a nearby home stepped outside with guns. Images and videos showed the woman pointing a handgun at the crowd. A man was seen holding a rifle.

The images and videos were shared thousands of times on social media Sunday night. Some people are supporting them for protecting their property and others are strongly criticizing them.

The homeowner reached out to News 4 Monday morning saying he was havinf dinner with his family outside of his home when the crowd smashed through wrought iron gates on Portland Place.

"A mob of at least 100 smashed through the historic wrought iron gates of Portland Place, destroying them, rushed towards my home where my family was having dinner outside and put us in fear of our lives," he said. "This is all private property. There are no public sidewalks or public streets. We were told that we would be killed, our home burned and our dog killed. We were all alone facing an angry mob."

Later in the night, protesters painted "RESIGN" on the street in front of the mayor's house.

During her Facebook Live on Friday, Krewson was asked about a meeting she had with protesters outside City Hall. Krewson grabbed submitted letters and read them, including the names and both partial and full addresses of those calling to defund the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. The video has since been deleted and Krewson issued an apology later that day. A spokesperson for the mayor said she will not resign.

The names and addresses submitted are public record. For example, comments submitted to the St. Louis County Council must include names and addresses and all the information is read aloud. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DYRJe_rf8w

St. Louis Alderwoman Megan Ellyia Green said in a tweet "So not cool to doxx my constituents who support #DefundThePolice on your FB live. It's a move designed to silence dissent, and it's dangerous"

The ACLU of Missouri released a statement saying what Krewson did was "shocking and misguided," saying reading the information aloud "serves no apparent purpose beyond intimidation."

An online petition demanding Krewson’s resignation has gained more than 40,000 signatures. Those calling for her to step down say she doxed people by reading those letters, meaning she made private or identifying information public on the internet with malicious intent.

"Tonight, I would like to apologize for identifying individuals who presented letters to me at City Hall as I was answering a routine question during one of my updates earlier today. While this is public information, I did not intend to cause distress or harm to anyone," Krewson said in a statement. "The post has been removed and again, I sincerely apologize."

St. Louis City Treasurer Tishaura Jones also tweeted saying "The Mayor's actions not only endanger her citizens, it is also reckless," echoing calls for Krewson's resignation.

Alderwoman Cara Spencer, who is challenging Krewson in the Democratic primary in the 2021 mayoral election, stopped short of calling for Krewson’s resignation.

"It's a tough time to be a mayor but it's our job as elected officials to rise to the challenge," Spencer said.

News 4 reached out to the mayor for comments, but a spokesperson said the mayor in not interested in talking, saying "she’s apologized, acknowledges she made a mistake and has absolutely no intention of resigning."

If Krewson resigns, Lewis Reed, the president of the Board of Aldermen, would assume the role.

https://www.kmov.com/news/archdiocese-responds-to-calls-for-removal-of-king-louis-ix-statue-city-to-be-renamed/article_91f3ad72-b87e-11ea-a865-972000f8ea41.html

Archdiocese responds to calls for removal of King Louis IX statue, city to be renamed

KMOV Staff | Updated 9 hrs ago | Posted on Jun 28, 2020

ST. LOUIS (KMOV.com) – The bronze statue of King Louis IX, the city's namesake, has stood for more than a century on Art Hill in Forest Park. On Saturday, a group held a rally at the base of the statue, demanding it be removed from public property.

“The reason behind being out here today is to stand against the statue of King Louis IX, who was anti-Semitic, Islamophobic and an anti- black crusader," Umar Lee, the event's organizer, said. "He does not need to be on public property overlooking our city.”

Lee also helped start a petition calling for the statue's removal. Their petition calls the city’s name “outright disrespect” to its Jewish and Muslim communities. Organizers of the rally claim King Louis' persecution of Jewish people in France long before Adolf Hilter and his role in the crusades are concerns and reason enough to bring the statue down.

Saturday's rally comes one day after President Trump signed an executive order protecting U.S. monuments. While Lee says their first goal is to get the statue removed, they say next they'll begin a grassroots effort to change the name of the city. "Confluence' or 'Scott' are two names that have been thought about and I think it would really unify people and bring them together," Lee said.

During Saturday's rally, many Catholics prayed at the base of the statue and said they want to see it remain. “This is a religious symbol of everything I hold dear. St. Louis is a citizen of heaven," one woman named Beverly said. "We have to take a stand now, we can't allow mob rule, this is totalitarianism."

Conor Martin said he sat at the statue before the sunrise Saturday morning in an attempt to keep protesters from defacing it. He said several people showed up with chalk and began writing on the ground. "I asked if they would not write on the base of the statue with chalk out of my respect for King Louis and they did anyway," he said. "So, once they left, I began cleaning it off and got most of it." The words "No KKK, No fascists" were displayed around the statue.

"We should not have to come out of the Art Museum and be assaulted by this statue," Lee said. "It needs to come down."

Chalk drawings surround the statue of King Louis IX atop Art Hill in Forest Park. A rally is planned for today, where some argue it should be removed due to the King’s involvement in the Crusade and acts of anti-semitism. @KMOV pic.twitter.com/ozuxsjdI6m

— Caroline Hecker (@carolinehecker) June 27, 2020

St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson says she is not in favor of removing the King Louis statue or the renaming of the city. She says its a distraction from work that needs to be done and would do nothing to change the issues St. Louis is facing.

In response to the recent criticism of King Louis IX, the Archdiocese of St. Louis said the King of France is an example of an imperfect man who strived to live a life modeled after the life of Jesus Christ for Catholics.

“The history of the statue of St. Louis, the King is one founded in piety and reverence before God, and for non-believers, respect for one’s neighbor. The reforms that St. Louis implemented in French government focused on impartial justice, protecting the rights of his subjects, steep penalties for royal officials abusing power, and a series of initiatives to help the poor.

King Louis IX’s renowned work in charity helped elevate him to Sainthood. His daily suppers were shared with numerous beggars, whom he invited to the royal table. On many evenings, he would not let them leave before he washed their feet. He personally paid to feed more than 100 poor Parisians every day. His care for the sick was equally moving; St. Louis frequently ministered to lepers. He also created a number of hospitals, including one for the blind and another for ex-prostitutes.

For Catholics, St. Louis is an example of an imperfect man who strived to live a life modeled after the life of Jesus Christ. For St. Louisans, he is a model for how we should care for our fellow citizen, and a namesake with whom we should be proud to identify. The sword on his statue is not raised for warfare, but rather is held with the blade down—a symbol of peace. In his recent statement on Racism, Justice and Peace, Archbishop Carlson said, in part:

“…Scripture tells us to turn our swords into plow shares. Let us turn our guns into metal. May that metal someday be the statue in our community that stands as a reminder that here, in the Greater St. Louis Region, we chose justice so that there would be peace…”

Most Reverend Robert J. Carlson, Apostolic Administrator for the Archdiocese of St. Louis

https://www.pantagraph.com/news/national/photos-protest-over-statue-of-st-louis-namesake-comes-to-a-head/collection_b57a9999-6bcc-5e9f-b57f-6bedd9658afb.html#14

Photos:

Protest over statue of St. Louis' namesake comes to a head

Robert Cohen | June 28, 2020