ST. LOUIS — Pride St. Louis, producer of one of the city’s annual Pride celebrations, has asked the city of St. Louis to drop charges against two people who protested last year’s event.
The organization sent a letter to City Counselor Julian Bush requesting that the charges be dropped. The letter was also posted on the organization’s Facebook page.
From the letter:
Our organization strongly supports the right to free speech and the importance of protesting in advocating important issues – including those who protest our event or organization. The history of the Pride Movement, in fact, has its origins in protests; the Stonewall Riots are widely hailed as the catalyst for the modern-day LGBTQIA+ rights movement.
In the strongest terms possible, Pride St. Louis urges the City of St. Louis to drop any existing charges against these individuals, as we do not believe our event was disrupted nor peace disturbed, beyond the lawful and peaceful assembly of protestors. We furthermore ask that the City not pursue any further charges against these individuals on behalf of our event or organization.
The letter was also sent to St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson and Public Safety Director Jimmie Edwards.
A man who shared the post said he was one of the two people arrested said they were protesting the Monsanto booth, saying PrideFest was corporatized. He called on people to call the City Counselor at (314) 622-3361 to call for the charges to be dropped.
