A couple of Americans who pointed their guns at protesters to keep them away from their Missouri home in late June were charged Monday, July 20, the St. Louis city attorney said. " It is illegal to brandish weapons in a threatening manner against those who participate in non-violent protests, and although the situation has fortunately not escalated tragically, this type of behavior is unacceptable in Saint-Louis, " said the prosecutor , Kimberly Gardner, in a statement. " We must protect the right to demonstrate peacefully and any attempt to hinder it by intimidating will not be tolerated, " she added, asking that the couple be forced to undergo a rehabilitation program.
Read also: United States: an armed couple threatens demonstrators in Saint-Louis
Retweeted by President Donald Trump, a video showing Mark and Patricia McCloskey brandishing an assault rifle and pistol as a procession passed their home had sparked divisive reactions last month. The sequence had outraged many Internet users and had been derided.
The sixty-year-old white lawyer couple said they were “ terrified ” when the mostly black demonstrators passed through their private street to protest outside the mayor's house in Saint-Louis, a large city in the central United States.
“ I was terrified that we would be murdered in seconds, our house burnt down, our pets killed. We were alone in front of an angry crowd, ”Mark McCloskey told a local television station.