st louis couple defend home
© Twitter
A man and a woman have been filmed brandishing guns at protesters who swarmed at the edge of their property, after a group of Black Lives Matter activists crashed the gates into a rich neighborhood in St. Louis, Missouri.

Multiple videos of the altercation went viral online, with the couple earning praise for "standing their ground," as well as criticism for "mishandling" their guns and "threatening peaceful protesters."


While none of the videos show anyone actually trespassing on their property, some of the activists were standing at the edge of the lawn, recording the couple while some reportedly were taunting them, saying, "eat the rich."

The couple shouted at the protesters, ordering them to leave their property, while at times pointing their guns at the crowd.



The group of protesters apparently crashed the gate into the neighborhood, as the incident took place on a private street, Portland Place, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
private property sign st louis neighboohood protest
© Google MapsThe 'private property' sign in front of the neighborhood invaded by protesters
broken gate St. louis BLM protesters private property
© @sethweathers/Twitter"According to the media, this is how protesters "peacefully" enter a neighborhood."
The crowd then proceeded to rally outside of Mayor Lyda Krewson's house, pushing through police barricades to the yard and the front porch, and painted the word 'RESIGN' on the street outside the house.

Protesters are demanding her resignation in part for publicly revealing the names of several Black Lives Matter activists behind calls to defund police and close a local jail. Demonstrators have been marching in St. Louis for weeks as part of nationwide protests against police brutality and racism, triggered by the death of George Floyd at the hands of police.