Black Lives Matter protesters return to the villa in St. Louis, the place the couple drew weapons – Each day Mail

Black Lives Matter protesters have returned to the villa of a Missouri couple who pulled weapons against activists who broke into their community during a demonstration last week.

Photos of Mark and Patricia McCloskey standing in front of their palatial grounds in St. Louis with an AR-15 and a pistol were beamed around the world last Sunday. The scene symbolized the polarization that is currently prevalent in America.

Mark McCloskey, a well-known personal injury lawyer, defended his weapon from being pulled and said he thought death was coming through his gate.

But on Friday, he and his wife were far more passive when hundreds of demonstrators returned to their upscale neighborhood to protest outside their lavish home.

The couple was seen experimentally peeking out of the confines of their balcony in the presence of their lawyer.

Black Lives Matter protesters have returned to the villa of Mark and Patricia McCloskey, who pulled weapons against activists last week who tore down a barricade during a demonstration and marched into their condominium. This time the couple was seen hesitatingly peeking out of the confines of their balcony. Patrica is shown on the left and Mark on the far right. A friend in a pink shirt can be seen in the middle

The demonstrators sang and waved posters in front of the residence for about 15 minutes before moving on. Private security guards paced the balcony as they watched the crowd

Hundreds of people took part in the demonstration – five days after the couple drew weapons against demonstrators

It was a very different story last Sunday when the couple drew guns while demonstrators marched past their home

Private security was seen to secure barriers outside the home from the protest.

The demonstrators sang and waved posters in front of the residence for about 15 minutes before moving on.

In an interview with Tucker Carlson on Tuesday, Mark McCloskey recalled the situation that led to his armed conflict with demonstrators last Sunday.

"My wife and I have prepared for dinner, maybe 70 feet from the gate," he said to Carlson.

Protesters walk through the gate of a private street near St. Mark and Patricia McCloskey's home in St. Louis on Friday

Hundreds gathered outside the McCloskey residence on Friday – five days after the couple waved arms to deter demonstrators

Private security was seen to secure barriers outside the home from the protest

A gate that was hit by demonstrators last Sunday was barricaded on Friday before the protests

When we looked up and saw that the demonstrators came along the Kings Highway and became loud, we looked over the gate and there is no police there. Our private security was not there. There is no one.

"I look over at my wife and then the gate bursts open and then all these people come in. And then a flood of people come in," he said.

"They are angry, they scream, they have saliva from their mouths, they come towards the house."

The couple came out of their house armed on Sunday to prevent demonstrators from going to their property after they claimed they had found their way into a condominium

In an interview with Tucker Carlson on Thursday, Mark McCloskey recalled the situation that led to his armed conflict with demonstrators last Sunday

McCloskey went on to say that after burning a 7/11 without intervention, he and his wife had to act without intervention at a protest in the city on June 22nd and went inside to grab a pistol and an AR-15.

"I turned to my wife and said," Oh my god, we are absolutely alone. There is no one here to protect us, "he said to Fox.

"When I saw this mob with its anger and anger coming through the gate, I thought we would be overrun in a second," he said.

When I was out there with my rifle, people were 20 or 30 feet from my front wall. I have a small wall that separates the house from my front yard. I was literally afraid that within seconds they would break the wall and come into the house, kill us, burn the house down, and everything I had worked and fought for in the past 32 years. & # 39;

"I saw everything go up in flames and my life was instantly destroyed. I did what I thought I should do to protect my stove, home, and family."

McCloskey claimed that his actions had nothing to do with race and that he didn't care what race the demonstrators were.

"Here's the interesting thing: I've spent my career defending people who are defenseless for people who have difficulty realizing their oracle, for people who have no voice," he continued.

“My black customers love us. The night that happened, some of our black customers called us and told us how wrong it was, how the press wrote us, and how wrong it was that we were portrayed as racist.

"This is what I do for a living. I help people who are depressed or need a hand and people who need a voice, ”added McCloskey.

“To call ourselves racist is ridiculous and has nothing to do with race. I wasn't worried about the race [from] the mob that came through my gate, I was worried that I would be killed. I didn't care what race they were. & # 39;

The couple's standoff video went viral. Some supported the couple's right to protect their private property, and others claimed they violated the law by threatening a peaceful protest.

Police said Monday that the crowd had threatened the couple and that the McCloskeys would not be charged.

They added that they are still under investigation, but described it as a case of trespassing and assault by intimidating the couple by demonstrators in the racially diverse crowd.

According to the NRA, state law does not prohibit the open carrying of firearms, but rather the display of "weapons that can easily be used fatally" in an angry or threatening manner in the presence of one or more people.

Issuing a weapon in this manner would likely be a Class D crime, which can result in up to four years in prison and a maximum fine of $ 5,000.

However, according to the St. Louis American, the Castle Doctrine allows people to use lethal force to attack an intruder on their property.

About 300 demonstrators had walked through a gate into this closed community and were marching in front of the McCloskey house, which is pictured in the middle. The family said they would have dinner outside when the demonstrators arrived