Police: 2 St. Louis workers assaulted by protesters

St. Louis police are investigating after two city employees said they were attacked early Thursday by people involved in a protest outside City Hall.

A statement from Public Safety Director Jimmie Edwards said the incident happened about 3:15 a.m. The protesters who are camping near City Hall want Mayor Lyda Krewson to resign.

Police said two city employees were trying to tow illegally parked cars to make way for cleaning crews when protesters climbed onto the trucks. Edwards said one of the workers was struck twice in the face with an assault rifle, and the other was punched in the back of the head.

St. Louis has seen dozens of protests in the weeks since George Floyd’s death in Minnesota, and Edwards said most have been nonviolent. But he said those who attacked the city workers “are not peaceful or nonviolent and will be arrested and held accountable for their criminal behaviours. It is important that citizens as well as elected officials denounce criminal behaviours disguised as lawful protests.”

Krewson has been the subject of protests since last month, when during a live video on Facebook she read the names and addresses of people who have called for taking away funding of police.