7 arrested, 2 officers injured during Sunday morning protest outside City Hall

Click here for updates on this story

    St. Louis, MO (KMOV) — Seven people were arrested and two officers were injured during the Sunday morning protest outside of St. Louis City Hall.

Protesters returned to City Hall Friday night after being removed earlier in the day. Then, early Sunday morning, police were seen once again removing the protesters from the steps as crews began cleaning the area.

News 4’s Caroline Hecker was outside of City Hall around 6 a.m. Sunday and saw a line of police officers blocking the protesters from accessing the steps. In addition, barricades were placed around the property.

Around 7:30 a.m., police stopped blocking the street and protesters returned to the sidewalk outside of City Hall. Hecker said the protesters then knocked down some of the metal barricades.

After knocking over the barricades, the protesters grabbed a News 4 camera and threatened the crew on the scene. Hecker and her photographer left the area and the crowd dispersed.

Hecker said she saw one person being arrested outside of City Hall. Police later told News 4 that seven people were arrested during the protest Sunday morning. Their charges range from interfering with arrest, drug possession, parole violation, assault and trespassing, according to police.

Two officers were injured during the protest. Police said one of the officers has a possibly broken arm. The injury suffered by the other officer is currently unknown.

Police also said one protester was taken for medical treatment after being arrested. That person allegedly coughed on officers and claimed to have COVID-19.

The protesters first camped out following a Wednesday afternoon protest that brought attention to violence towards African Americans. Around 3:40 a.m. Friday, officers removed the protesters from the area. Authorities said the removal was peaceful and complete less than two hours later.

After the protesters left the area, crews were seen cleaning up and working to remove the words “Resign Lyda Resign” that were painted on the street. The protesters then returned to the area Friday night.

The protesters have said they will continue returning to City Hall regardless of how many times they are removed from the property.

Protesters said they are demanding the mayor’s resignation. Many of them told News 4 they are still angry she mentioned the names and address of people who want police reform during a Facebook live.

The protesters want to defund police and want leaders to invest in the community.

Wednesday, the Board of Aldermen passed a bill to establish a law that bans chokeholds, require officers to use de-escalation tactics, and more. The bill is currently on Mayor Krewson’s desk for her signature.

Despite calls for her to resign, Mayor Krewson’s office said she will not be stepping down.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.