*Remember that rich white couple in St. Louis who got a lot of attention for brandishing automatic guns at Black Lives Matter protesters in June? Well, they are set to speak at the Republican National Convention next week.
If you’re like us, you’re not even remotely surprised. In any event, Joel Schwartz, one of the lawyers for Mark and Patricia McCloskey, confirmed that the couple has been invited to take part, but it remains unclear on what day, as final details are still being worked out, according to NPR.
While they may be putting on a good front for the GOP, the McCloskeys are not exactly home free, so to speak, for their infractions of the law back in June. The reality is they are facing felony charges for waving firearms “in a threatening manner” at demonstrators as they marched through the couple’s neighborhood en route to the home of St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson, who lives nearby.
The couple, both attorneys, said they armed themselves because they felt threatened by the protesters. Images of the incident went viral on social media.
A couple pointed guns at protesters in St. Louis as a group marched toward the mayor’s home to demand her resignation. https://t.co/5EqDd43QCd pic.twitter.com/KWNaif77ch
— ABC News (@ABC) June 29, 2020
President Trump also retweeted an ABC News video on June 29, without comment, showing Mark McCloskey holding a black semi-automatic rifle and his wife holding a silver pistol. The couple were shouting at protesters as they walked by their home.
In the clip, several protesters can be seen recording the couple with their cellphones as drumming and chants of “Let’s go” can be heard.
A circuit attorney for the city of St. Louis, Kimberly Gardner, announced last month that both of the McCloskeys face one charge of unlawful use of a weapon, which is a class E felony.
“It is illegal to wave weapons in a threatening manner at those participating in nonviolent protest, and while we are fortunate this situation did not escalate into deadly force, this type of conduct is unacceptable in St. Louis,” Gardner said in a statement.
The incident has drawn both ire from Black Lives Matter supporters and praise from Second Amendment activists.
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