Arrests at St. Louis Townhall Meeting
Sphere: Related ContentKenneth Gladney, 38, a conservative activist from St. Louis, said he was attacked by some of those arrested as he handed out yellow flags with “Don’t tread on me” printed on them. He spoke to the Post-Dispatch from the emergency room at St. John’s Mercy Medical Center, where he said he was awaiting treatment for injuries to his knee, back, elbow, shoulder and face. Gladney, who is black, said one of his attackers, also a black man, used a racial slur against him before the attack.
“It just seems there’s no freedom of speech without being attacked,” he said.
Members of the local Tea Party Coalition, a movement that has emerged to counter Obama’s policies, had urged their members to attend Carnahan’s forum, which in turn spurred Democrats to establish a strong presence.
Inside the gathering, while speakers stuck to aging issues, they were often interrupted by yells from audience members who wanted to shift the focus to health care.
“This isn’t even close to civil,” said Steve Belosi, 52, of Lake Saint Louis, commenting on the crowd. “The rudeness was beyond compare.”
