A St. Louis couple criminally charged for waving guns during a Black Lives Matter protest outside their home says Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden would invite unchecked lawlessness into American suburbs.
Mark and Patty McCloskey on Monday at the Republican National Convention reinforced the theme outlined in President Donald Trump’s campaign ads. The Republican is painting his opponent as complicit with rioting and violence that has taken place in some cities in recent months amid racial justice protests, the vast majority of which have been peaceful.
Patty McCloskey says, “They want to abolish the suburbs altogether by ending single-family home zoning.” She says the actions “would bring crime, lawlessness and low-quality apartments into thriving suburban neighborhoods.”
She says, “These are the policies that are coming to a neighborhood near you,” She adds, “Your family will not be safe in the radical Democrats’ America.”
The McCloskeys are both lawyers in their 60s who landed in the national spotlight after confronting a group of protesters in now-viral video, with Mark McCloskey holding a semi-automatic rifle and Patty McCloskey a semi-automatic handgun.
The McCloskeys later claimed that the protesters tore down an iron gate and walked by a “No Trespassing” sign to enter their neighborhood. Protesters leaders said the gathering was peaceful and the gate was open.
Democratic St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner filed felony unlawful use of a weapon charges against the couple in July, finding that the guns created the risk of bloodshed.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
