Riots taking place throughout the United States are not exclusive to big cities, according to Patricia and Mark McCloskey.
The St. Louis couple, who are facing felony charges for brandishing weapons outside their home during a protest this summer, issued a warning to suburban voters on Fox and Friends that their towns are also under threat. The McCloskeys said they will use their speech during the Republican National Convention to warn voters to support candidates that will quash riots and defend their right to self-defense.
“We have a God-given right to defend ourselves. The right of self-defense is one of the most basic civil rights, one of the most basic human rights, and that the world — that you cannot have freedom and an opportunity to advance unless you have basic safety and security, and that it’s not just limited big cities — they’re bringing it to a neighborhood near you,” Mark McCloskey said on Monday.
The McCloskeys have accused St. Louis prosecutor Kim Gardner of failing to be objective after she pressed charges against the two for brandishing their weapons at a large group of protesters who had broken down a fence to access their private neighborhood. Gardner charged the McCloskeys but refused to charge many individuals arrested during the riots that took place in the city in the month of June. She also touted the charges in a campaign email.
“In a quiet neighborhood, you think you have a right to defend yourself and your family, and it’s shocking that we’re still having the fallout, and we’re being pursued, and we will have years of having this follow us,” Patricia McCloskey said.
The McCloskeys will be speaking during the Republican National Convention on Monday evening.
