A protester, wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh to protect from tear gas, looks into a police line while protesting the acquittal of St. Louis police officer Jason Stockley, who shot and killed Anthony Lamar Smith, an unarmed black man. Photographed on September 15, 2017. 

Two protesters touch fingers in a Michelangelo “Sistine Chapel & David” moment as they stand atop a public bus shelter in downtown St. Louis to lead chants during the Stockley protests there.  Photographed on September 15, 2017.

This police line was ordered to contain the Stockley protesters in downtown St. Louis. The female officer’s concern is vividly apparent. 

Later, police employed “kettling,” a tactic where protesters are surrounded without an escape route, then ordered to disperse causing chaos — and an opportunity for police to make arrests for not obeying the order to disperse.  Photographed on September 15, 2017. 

Protesters gathered during a march Anthony Lamar Smith killed by Jason Stockley, a known rogue officer. This group marched to the corner of Skinker Avenue and Forest Park Parkway, blocking traffic to call attention to the continued killing of black men while white men are usually only detained or arrested. Photographed on September 16, 2017.

After Michael Brown’s murder, violence against Black men continued by police, which spawned more protests. They were organized to underscore that Black Lives Matter — working inside and outside of the system to heal the past, call attention the present, and reimagine the future. Public awareness and law suits against municipalities  and police departments caused reforms. But even today, work remains. The protest leader, shown in the foreground, is longtime BLM activist Ohun Ashe. Photographed on October 14, 2017. 

At a memorial commemorating the 4th anniversary of Michael Brown’s death. This woman pays her respects to a life lost way too early for all the wrong reasons. Michael Brown’sdeath spawned the Black Lives Matter movement in the United Sates. Michael had just graduated from high school a few months before his death. Photographed on August 9, 2018. 

At the 4th annual memorial to Michael Brown, Jr. on Canfield Drive in Ferguson, emotions ran high with family, elected officials, civil rights activists, and friends of the family. Photographed August 9, 2018.

Michael Brown, Sr., father of Michael Brown, shown here in a photo, taken five years after his son’s death on August 8, 2019. The memorial tribute was organized under the banner of a new foundation, “Chosen for Change,” at the Urban League offices in Ferguson. 

During the 5th anniversary memorial for Michael Brown, Jr., folks gathered around the spot where the young unarmed youth was murdered by a Ferguson police officer. Photographed August 9, 2019.

In the St. Louis suburb of Richmond Heights, police escalation of a shoplifting event turned deadly with the shooting of a 23-year old black man, Terry Tilman. The events that unfolded were suspicious and ultimately pointed to excessive force by the police when the frightened man ran, only to be gunned down. 20 months later, a video was released by the police that cast doubt on the officer’s story. Black Lives Matter protesters were at the Richmond Heights City Hall to call attention to this tragedy. Photographed September 5, 2019.  

Scene from the 9th anniversary memorial for Michael Brown, Jr.  Mourners prepared the site of his death with stuffed animals to emphasize that this was an unarmed youth gunned down for no other discernible reason than having jaywalked across a street. Photographed August 9, 2023

During the 10th anniversary memorial for Michael Brown, Jr., along with mournful reverence, there was an agreement that the work of the Black Lives Matter movement was not finished. Raised fists presented a graphic symbol of resistance to those who continued the oppression. Photographed August 9, 2024. 

At the 10th anniversary of Michael Brown’s murder, the crowd chanted, observed moments of silence, vowed to fight against this type of injustice in America ever again, and prayed. Photographed August 9, 2024.

The killing of Black continued after Michael Brown’s death like a plague. Here, family, friends and neighbors of 18-year old VonDerrit Myers, Jr., gathered in the Shaw neighborhood where he was gunned down by an off-duty police officer pulling a secondary security guard job. The officer chased the 18-year old firing 17 shots at him before he was killed. The officer was not in uniform and did not identify himself as police, but began pursuing VonDerrit and two friends with his weapon already drawn, causing the trio to run. Photographed on August 8, 2015.

A demonstrator holds a copy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper with a headline that sounded the alarm for that day’s protest. Hundreds showed up to have their voices heard about their disbelief of the trial verdict. Photographed on September 16, 2017. 

Fatal State Violence (FSV) victim’s families assembled on the steps of St. Louis City Hall to decry the continued killing of Black men and women by police. It was both a demonstration and a memorial for lives lost. Here, a mother with husband and son, remember their son and brother in a plea for restraint. Photographed May 24, 2022.

The First Amendment isn’t limited to public speech, demonstrations, or media reports. ArchCity Defenders, a local non-profit and holistic civil rights law firm, who works with families of Fatal State Violence (FSV) victims, produced an exhibit of stories to dramatize the epidemic of FSV in the St. Louis metropolitan area. This photo shows a visitor reading one account of family loss next to photos of the victims’ mothers. Photographed on January 20, 2023. 

The parents of Isaiah Hammett at a vigil outside the St. Louis Circuit Courts await a hearing into the death of their son by a SWAT team. Without a search warrant, the team entered the house where Isaiah was caring for his sick grandfather on June 7, 2017. Within minutes Isaiah was dead. A police report justified the shooting, but was later debunked. Outside of the courts the family displayed morgue photos of the body that contradicted police claims about how Isaiah was killed. Photographed September 20, 2023.

An unidentified woman prays at a vigil in downtown St. Louis for Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old unarmed Black woman who was murdered by a white sheriff’s deputy in Sangamon County, Illinois (near Springfield). Sonya had called 911 about a possible prowler, but was shot and killed by the responding officer as she stood at her stove. He cited “fear for his life” to justify the use of lethal force. The officer was eventually found guilty of second-degree murder. Photographed on July 29, 2024. 

A organizer kneels at a makeshift memorial during the “Say Her Name” protest in downtown St. Louis for Sonya Massey. Sean Grayson, the former Illinois sheriff’s deputy who shot Sonya Massey, was convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Photographed July 29, 2024.

Signs and speeches memorialize a young woman’s murder at the hands of poorly trained or racist police officers as protesters stand up and speak out for justice in downtown St. Louis. Photographed July 29, 2024.

A protester stands at an equal rights rally in downtown St. Louis, where a statewide referendum to legalize abortion in Missouri was announced just prior to the Supreme Court’s (SCOTUS) decision to overturn Roe v Wade. Later the Amendment 3 referendum passed restoring safe and legal abortions, and other reproductive medical services in Missouri. Photographed on May 14, 2022. 

This photo was created one hour after the U.S. Supreme Court announced they had overturned Roe v Wade. Women’s Reproductive Rights advocates quickly gathered at the Planned Parenthood Offices in St. Louis to express their outrage at the decision, launching new efforts to make abortion safe and legal in Missouri once again. Photographed on June 24, 2022.

A member of Joia World Music prepares to participate in a Women’s Reproductive Rights rally in St. Louis to protest the Missouri State Legislature’s efforts to overturn the successful Amendment 3 referendum by voters to legalize abortion. Photographed on November 2, 2024. 

Billed as the “Mother Lovin’ Rally,” this Mother’s Day demonstration took place at the junction of I-64 and Brentwood Boulevard in St. Louis County. It was focused on Women’s Reproductive Rights and Legal Abortions, hot issues in Missouri. Protesters stood for nearly three long blocks on both sides of the roadway. Photographed May 10, 2025. 

The “Mother Lovin’ Rally” for safe, legal abortions in Missouri drew a large enthusiastic crowd. After voters passed a statewide referendum to make abortions legal in Missouri, the majority Republican State Senate and House worked to invalidate that referendum. Photographed May 10, 2025.

In 2017, a parcel of land on Vandeventer Avenue in St. Louis was developed as the Transgender Memorial Garden to honor transgender people killed by anti-LGBTQ violence. On this day, the garden was dedicated and memorialized. They also protested the continuing prejudice and violence against non-binary human beings. Photographed July 30, 2017.

Speakers at the Transgender Memorial Garden dedication told of a history of violence, solidarity, gender education, and how they, along with allies, can work together. Photographed July 30, 2017.

Raising the flags of equality and LBGTQIA+, the mood of the event was upbeat and cheerful at times, but never far away from a somber tone of mourning for those who have been persecuted for their sexual orientation. Photographed July 30, 2017.

Trump supporters waiting to enter the first Trump rally in St. Louis in 2016 at the Peabody Opera House (now Stifel Theatre). A large number of counter protesters joined outside the indoor rally to protest Donald Trump. Photographed March 11, 2016. 

A broader view of the anti-Trump protest outside of the Peabody Opera House. The crowd was orderly but very vocal. Already, clear lines differentiating the two political views were drawn along economic, racial, economic, and constitutional lines. Photographed March 11, 2016

A broader view of the anti-Trump protest held outside of the Peabody Opera House shows the proximity to the Gateway Arch. The crowd was orderly but very vocal. Already, clear lines differentiating the two political views were drawn along economic, racial, demographic, and constitutional issues. Photographed March 11, 2016

The crowd at the first “No Kings” protest in downtown St. Louis spilled out from Kiener Plaza shoulder to shoulder, past City Garden and onto the side streets adjacent the Plaza. While chanting was loud and emotions high, the protest was peaceful and orderly with many guest speakers including politicians, activists, and organizations working for civic progress. Photographed June 14, 2025.

This gentleman, along with several thousand others, held a sign that was reminiscent  of the 1940’s after the U.S. and its allies defeated Nazi Germany. Photographed June 14, 2025.

Signs carried by protesters display their priorities. This couple stood for hours in the heat to make their grievances known during the “No Kings” protest in downtown St. Louis, Missouri. Photographed on June 14, 2025.

From the first “No Kings” rally, held in downtown St. Louis at Keener Plaza. Thousands of protesters marched from Broadway up Market Street to Tucker heading north to Washington, and then back down Broadway to make known their opposition to the Trump administration’s policies and lawless behavior. Photographed June 14, 2025. 

Marching in downtown St. Louis, this father gave a piggyback ride to his daughter, offering a valuable civics lesson. Children and pets were active participants of the protest along with college students, retirees, veterans, feminists, people of color and varied national origins. It was a true melting pot day. Photographed on June 14, 2025.

A protest and march honoring Renee Nicole Good, the 37-year-old mother and poet murdered by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was attended by thousands in the St. Louis County Seat of Clayton, Missouri. Typically, St. Louis is a liberal city with conservative leanings, but protests against the Trump administration grew as discontent mounted. Photographed January 11, 2026. 

A protester peers from behind his sign objecting to the murder of Renee Nicole Good. Demonstrators were not joyous on this day and exhibited both mourning and anger that this happened in America and was so reminiscent of bygone pre-civil war slave patrols and gestapo tactics in Nazi Germany. Photographed on January 11, 2026. 

A couple stands in protest of taxpayer dollars spent to militarize American communities where ICE roams and randomly abducts people based on skin color and accents, while also detaining and arresting American citizens for no apparent reason without court-ordered warrants or due process. Photographed January 11, 2026.

The “Free America Walkout” occurred at the Tamm Avenue overpass above I-64 in St. Louis, one year after Donald Trump took the oath of office for his second term. For most Americans it was a year of chaos, disappointment, turmoil, frustration, and agony as they witnessed the decline of democracy and a rise in authoritarianism. Photographed on January 20, 2026.

Tolerance for another war — chosen by older white men who seem willing to send young men and women into harm’s way — was at an all-time low at the time of this protest. With affordability becoming a major issue for American families, along with the administration’s problems with morality and corruption, protester’s signs spoke. Photographed March 28, 2026.

At a protest, held across from St. Louis’ famed Union Station: For many, the issues were so numerous and onerous that “Stop Trump” seemed to sum up their political emotions best. Photographed March 28, 2026.

Trump’s tendency to mix government policy with corrupt self enrichment at taxpayer expense created a special disdain for the president, as this sign comments. Photographed March 28, 2026.

Protesters marched to call attention to a worsening economy, the war against Iran, ICE’s illegal abductions and killing of immigrants and citizens, growing unemployment, and other issues. “No Kings” rallies held nationwide and in several foreign countries were the largest yet with over 8 million turning out nationwide on this day. Photographed March 28, 2026.

The Epstein files coverup continued to be a primary issue with voters as victims were ignored and perpetrators — many of them well-known politicians including the President and wealthy businessmen — were not prosecuted. The Iran war, ICE, tariffs, and other issues provided cover to distract attention away from the Epstein files. Photographed March 28, 2026. 

Cori Bush, candidate for re-election to the House of Representatives in Missouri’s First Congressional District, spoke at the protest and used a traditional Maasai greeting, “And how are the children?,” to emphasize how the Trump administration continues to ignore the will of the people, affordability, civil rights, and the health of our nation to favor the wealthy getting richer at the expense of ordinary Americans. Photographed March 28, 2026. 

An anti-war element surfaced during this protest attracting both young and old, from a wide spectrum of income and educational levels, to make their discontent known. With the 2026 mid-term elections approaching there was also a renewed sense of hope for Congress to return to a responsible and democratic leadership. Photographed March 28, 2026.

During President Trump’s first term, Americans were exposed to the first signs of authoritarian rule when ICE agents began rounding up immigrants and were not transparent about where they were taking them. Then we learned that they were separating families and keeping sloppy or no records that would allow reunification. A large group of citizens descended on the ICE headquarters in Troy, Missouri, just northwest of St. Louis to protest this behavior. Photographed June 30, 2018.

In 2018, folks became angered by how the federal government was detaining and separating families who had immigrated (both lawfully or without papers). They gathered at the ICE headququarters near Wentzville, Missouri, to speak out. Photographed June 30, 2018. 

Protesters as they leave the ICE property and advance onto the a four-lane highway in Troy, Missouri. Blocking traffic is a method protesters use to spread their message to others quickly. Photographed June 30, 2018.

The highway blockage during the ICE protest in Troy, Missouri: With the cooperation of the Highway Patrol, the shutdown of the highway was safe and brief. It was an effective attention getter to the separation of families by ICE, sometimes as much as 1,000 miles away from each other. Photographed June 30, 2018.

The Tamm Avenue overpass connects the Dogtown neighborhood to Forest Park over I-64, a heavily-traveled highway. On this day, “Bring Kilmar Abrego Garcia Home” was the topic of their free speech — alerting others of illegal abductions of immigrants and citizens by ICE. Photographed April 26, 2025. 

Two young ladies speak out at the “Bring Kilmar Abrego Garcia Home” protest, where the message was to stop the abuse of power by the Trump administration and ICE to arbitrarily enforce immigration laws by kidnapping and deporting legal immigrants and naturalized citizens without due process. The protest was held on the Tamm Avenue and I-64 overpass in the Dogtown neighborhood. Photographed on April 26, 2025.

One of the first demonstrations for the Affordable Care Act in St. Louis was held at the corner of Skinker Boulevard and Forest Park Parkway. The young woman (right) in this photo was Melanie Shouse, an early healthcare activist. Melanie died on January 30, 2010 after a long battle with breast cancer. She had been a foot soldier for healthcare reform. The lack of affordable health insurance was personal to Melanie. She said in an interview on KDHX radio, “I was only able to afford catastrophic health insurance coverage with about $8,000 in co-pays and deductibles,” Ms. Shouse said. “As a result, I put off getting preventive services and medical screenings and treatments.” Photographed October 20, 2009.

Two demonstrators hold signs in the early days of healthcare reform in St. Louis. This location was chosen for its high traffic patterns, but also because of its proximity to Washington University in St. Louis where many of the students were finding it impossible to afford health insurance and, for those who had a preexisting conditions, would not qualify for insurance. The location also borders on the Delmar Divide, separating high income housing from lower income housing where healthcare was a dream. Photographed October 20, 2009.

A demonstration in front of St. Louis City Hall with a march down Market Street called attention to the genocide and war crimes being committed against the Palestinian people. The event was largely sponsored by The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), but attended by allies from all major religions. Photographed May 14, 2018. 

As the genocide in Gaza continued with escalations in the West Bank, local Palestinians, Jews, Christians, and other allies came out to Forest Park to protest. Kaitlyn Killgo, shown here, was arrested while protesting that day. She later won a Federal lawsuit claiming Washington University and Eureka police officers violated her constitutional rights under the Fourth, Fifth and First Amendments. Photographed on April 27, 2024.

Protesters assemble in Forest Park to march to the Washington University in St. Louis campus nearby. They were demonstrating the continue genocide, land grabs, and war crimes committed by Israeli Zionists. Photographed April 27, 2024.

This elderly man was old enough to remember when Palestine was partitioned by Britain in 1948, which proposed dividing Palestine into separate Arab and Jewish states with Jerusalem under international control. Today Israeli Zionists are chipping away at the West Bank by stealing land from Palestinians. Gaza has been obliterated with genocide from bombings, snipers, starvation, and disease with all but a few hospitals remaining. Photographed April 27, 2024.

An activist leads chants with a group seeking a free Palestine. Chants are often used to state the common demands and goals of a protest, as well as to display the solidarity of those participating in a demonstration. Photographed April 27, 2024.

NAKBA Day is celebrated as a protest of the genocide still occurring in Gaza; it is also known as Memory of the Catastrophe, which comprised the destruction of Palestinian society and homeland in 1948, and the permanent displacement of a majority of the Palestinian people. Generally commemorated on May 15, this one took place at Tower Grove Park in St. Louis and was attended by Palestinians, allies and human rights activists. Photographed May 15, 2025. 

This elderly couple attended NAKBA Day in Tower Grove Park and stopped to pray silently at several of the photos on display showing the effects of the starvation, destruction, and desperation in Gaza. Speeches were made and participants stood at the corner of Grand Avenue and Arsenal Street with signs beseeching an end to the genocide carried out by Israeli Zionists. Photographed May 15, 2025. 

The 2008 a financial crisis devastated many American households. In 2011, Occupy STL brought out working class folks to protest and march on the streets of downtown St. Louis. Union members, government workers, teachers, students, and others wanted change and sought that change by raising their voices together. Photographed October 18, 2011. 

In 2011, the gap between rich and poor widened at a frantic pace. Inequity between the classes created hardships for many Americans. The chant of “One Percent” identified those privileged few who were oppressing the rest of society. These students said it with a banner about how to fight oppression as they stood outside Boatmen’s Bank downtown. Photographed October 18, 2011. 

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, back in 2011, was less tolerant of protests than they are today. The tendency then was to confront, escalate, then arrest protesters. Seen here, the police line to meet the Occupy STL march formed to limit it to a few blocks. This type of aggressive policing, which ignored Constitutional rights, often led to fatal state violence (FSV), highlighted elsewhere in this gallery. Photographed October 18, 2011. 

Tenants, lawyers, and social workers stand on the front porch as the tenant was being evicted through unlawful procedures by her landlord. The tenants were not notified in advance, though attorneys were able to arrive quickly to help, along with social workers, neighbors, and several affordable housing activists. Photographed on August 4, 2017.

Two housing activists, who rushed to the scene to help the family if evicted that day, stand waiting. This type of support is not unusual in the activist community, and is often referred to as “family.” Photographed on August 4, 2017.

Protesters line the July 4th parade route downtown with signs to inform residents that the St. Louis Workhouse still existed and should be closed. Public outcry eventually closed the Workhouse after a multi-year campaign and public opinion changed when the horrific conditions there became known. Organizations like ArchCity Defenders, Action St. Louis, and The Bail Project were instrumental in closing the derelict jail. Photographed on July 4, 2014.

The Workhouse, one of two jails in St. Louis City for many years, was known for its inhumane conditions. Now demolished, it was a medium security institution without air conditioning or adequate heating for inmates. Inmates were incarcerated there due to their inability to pay high cash bails. Most inmates were awaiting trial caged and criminalized due to their poverty. This protest was held in downtown St. Louis during the annual July 4th of July parade. Photographed July 4, 2014. 

This protest at the St. Louis Justice Center (jail) focused on its overcrowding due to an emphasis on setting high bail amounts to create revenue for the City. Families and friends, along with civil rights activists and defense attorneys organized a Mother’s Day Bailout rally to call attention to the plight of families who suffer when a relative is jailed for long periods of time waiting for trial. Photographed May 12, 2018.

A spouse of an inmate speaks to a St. Louis Public Radio (NPR) reporter to explain the effects of high cost bail to poor families. Most cannot afford the bail. Being in jail for months awaiting trial puts them into further risks. By not being able to work, they risk losing their jobs, or while not working, cannot pay rent and risk eviction. They also face having utilities turned off for lack of payment, and some fall ill in jail because of lack of medical attention while incarcerated. Photographed on May 12, 2018.

St. Louis jails are infamous for deaths, serious illness, and brutal treatment at the hands of jailers. Over the years, many efforts have been made to address these situations, and although some progress has been made, those who are detained in the City’s one remaining jail still face risks. This woman makes her demands known standing with others outside the jail. Photographed on September 19, 2022. 

Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America held a protest rally in downtown after the dramatic increase of gun violence in St. Louis and the nation. Mass shootings in schools and other places, along with a rise in drive-by shootings, prompted the call for new laws regulating firearm sales. Photographed March 30, 2013.

This group of moms and dads came to the protest together and shared their stories of local gun violence, particularly about drive-by shootings and the increase in youth deaths. Photographed March 30, 2013.

This mom brought her son to protest, demanding action by both the Missouri State legislature and local law enforcement after their neighborhood had recently experienced drive by shootings. Photographed March 30, 2013.

This victim of gun violence attended the Moms Demand Action protest to share his experience and to emphasize the need to make it more difficult to purchase firearms. Photographed March 30, 2013. 

During a controversial Board of Alderman (BoA) stadium vote at City Hall, protesters sat in the second floor mezzanine overlooking the BoA proceedings as a procedure that would deny citizen comments about who would pay for the abandoned football stadium in downtown St. Louis. Photographed on December 15, 2015.

When a data center was proposed to replace a defunct entertainment venue, residents throughout the City of St. Louis gathered for a town hall meeting to learn the pros and cons of this type of development that could affect their “quality of life.” Small groups were formed to facilitate discussions. Everyone had the opportunity to weigh in with their point of view. Overwhelmingly, the attendees decided to oppose the data center development led by large contractors, unknown developers, and other special interests. Photographed October 12, 2025.

At the town hall meeting at St. Cronin’s Catholic Church, attendees voted on key issues by raising either green sheets of paper for YES or red sheets for NO. Key issues included acceptability of higher electricity bills, increased pollution to the environment from greater demand for electricity, and pressure on water resources needed to cool the center’s machinery. These impacts were seen as negative when weighed upon narrow benefits from those operating data centers. Photographed October 12, 2025. 

In 2023 the General Motors plant in Wentzville, Missouri, shut down due to a UAW strike as the workers demanded a new contract. The strike lasted 45 days. This photo, from one of the many picket lines, showed the new face of a younger, more diverse workforce who depends on their union. Photographed on October 2, 2023.

Local 200 of the  Service Employees International Union (SEIU), representing workers in healthcare, public services, and property services, came together to protest the recent abuses of the Trump administration. At their “Families First Day of Action” rally, held in Webster Groves, a suburb of St. Louis, they stood up to protect care, education, and dignity for working families and against harmful budget cuts and policies that threaten our communities and the services we all rely upon. Photographed July 26, 2025.

This young man stood alone in his protest without colleagues or supporters. He claimed to be a whistleblower for companies maintaining giant databases of human DNA that can (and are) being used by corporations, such as Amazon, in this instance. Verifying the veracity of his claims is difficult because online sources are sketchy and none include reputable mainstream media outlets. But, the First Amendment gives him the right to say what he wants and to assemble to say it. Photographed August 23, 2025. 

When workers at a local coffee house chain in St. Louis held a vote and petitioned to form a union, the company ignored them. That resulted in a protest in front of company headquarters by employees, local union leaders, and the public who support collective bargaining rights. The baristas and café workers are mostly young and often work two jobs, so receiving schedules earlier, higher pay so they won’t need a second job, better and safer working conditions, and a voice at the table means a lot to them. Photographed on November 5, 2025. 

Kaldi’s Coffee workers assemble to rally for recognition of the union they voted to form. Photographed on November 5, 2025.