St. Louis County Reportedly Considers Funeral Protest Ban

The ban would be similar to the those passed by other St. Louis area cities, including Manchester.

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis County Councilman Steve Stenger, D-Affton, wants to pass legislation that would restrict funeral protests. Stenger wants legislation that would mirror Creve Coeur's city ordinance which was passed this week by the city council, the Post reports. Creve Coeur and Clatyon have both recently passed ordinances similar to Manchester's city ordinance which prohibits protests within 300 feet of a funeral one hour before and one hour after services. Manchester's ordinance was put in place in response to protests like those by Westboro Baptist Church where members are known for anti-gay protests at the funerals of U.S. soldiers, claiming the soldiers' deaths are a result of America's tolerance for …

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Election 2012

Protesters Denounce Akin for Stance on Women's Health

Voters lined a Kirkwood street Monday afternoon to express their distaste for the U.S. Senate candidate and local representative.

From a birth control costume to a sign that read "Voting Vagina," it was pretty clear why participants of a voters' rally outside a Todd Akin fundraiser thought the U.S. Senate candidate was the wrong man for the job. "It's disgusting we have a congressman who doesn't understand science," said LaDonna Appelbaum, of Creve Couer. "We need women making decisions for women, not men."  Protesters lined the street of South Kirkwood Road outside Woodbine Center near Trattoria Branica where Akin was holding a fundraising event after a press conference at the Kirkwood Train Station.  Many protesters wore pink Planned Parenthood T-shirts. The St. Louis chapter of Advocates of Planned Parenthood mobilized supporters of the organization through an …

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Pattonville Grad On the Front Lines of Occupy St. Louis

Occupy St. Louis marks its second full week in Kiener Plaza.

Chelsi Webster held her laptop computer above her head Friday during a protest march. The 2008 Pattonville High School graduate used the computer’s camera to LiveStream Friday’s event. “The revolution will not be televised,” she said, “but will be LiveStreamed.” Gaining ground Webster, who now attends Webster University, has been with Occupy St. Louis since Oct. 3. She said the group has become larger and more organized since the beginning. Trish Katski of Ballwin agreed. The Occupy movement is not political, according to Katski. “It’s a humanity movement,” she said, adding the movement is about people over profit. Supporters came out in droves for the Friday protest march in downtown St. Louis. Participants estimated between 600 and 1,000…

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Occupying for a Cause: Occupy St. Louis Continues Protest

Advocacy group has no plans to end Kiener Plaza protest.

A tent city occupies Kiener Plaza in downtown St. Louis. Members of Occupy St. Louis, a group that champions individual rights compared to the rights of corporations, have been at the plaza for one week. The group “proudly stand(s) in solidarity with those whose peaceful Wall Street occupation seeks to expose the greed and avarice that have sold off the ‘American Dream’ in exchange for executive bonuses and political kickbacks,” according to its website. People from across the region have joined the downtown protest. Kaare Melby, an archeologist from downtown St. Louis, said the occupy movement voices something he’s believed in all his life. He said money is considered speech in the United States, but that fact doesn’t stay true to …

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Union Takes Labor Fight to Delmar Loop

Dozens of union members who work for Missouri American Water staged a protested on Delmar Saturday against the president of the company who lives in University City.

Dozens of union workers from Missouri American Water protested on Delmar near the Lions Gate on Saturday. "This is about jobs,"said Al Ratermann, vice president of Local 335 -- the utility workers union that represents the 400 -plus members that work for Missouri American Water in St. Louis County. The group said it was demonstrating against rate hikes for customers and  benefit cuts for workers. "We've been working without a contract since October 31, 2011," said Ratermann. "Our employer, Missouri American Water, wants the ability to outsource our jobs to non-union contractors," he added. Ratermann said Missouri American is a very profitable company and its proposal to outsource is totally unnecessary. "I feel this is really all about …

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Mike Brewer

3:26 pm on Sunday, March 27, 2011

Americans enjoy more than a few labor protections precisely because of labor unions and the need for them is done. Protests to protect exaggerated entitlements that will burden the likes of you me and our children's children are hard to get behind despite your misplaced emotionally loaded comparison. That being said, I appreciate your perspective.   more ›