St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson won’t be stepping down despite growing calls for her to resign after she released the names of people calling for major police reform.
“Mayor has apologized, acknowledged the mistake and that there was absolutely no malicious intent, and took down the video,” Jacob Long, the mayor’s communications director, told CNN on Sunday evening. “She won’t be resigning.”
After the mayor read aloud the identities of people demanding City Hall defund the police in an online address, which has been taken down, a petition calling for Krewson’s resignation has received over 45,000 signatures as of Monday afternoon.
The petition cites a series of Krewson’s stances the petition’s creator disagrees with in addition to her recent “outing” of protesters.
“On June 26th Lyda directly endangered the lives of protesters by releasing their names and addresses,” the petition reads. “Amidst community backlash of St. Louis police brutality, Mayor Lyda Krewson consistently campaigns on more funding for the police paid through by tax payers.”
I’d like to apologize for identifying individuals who presented letters to me at City Hall today. This was during one of my Facebook updates as I was answering routine questions. Never did I intend to harm anyone or cause distress. The update is removed and again, I apologize.
— Mayor Lyda Krewson (@LydaKrewson) June 27, 2020
The petition was created by Maxi Glamour, a local drag artist who identifies as nonbinary and is active in social justice causes.
Krewson apologized for releasing the names, saying she did not intend to harm anyone.
“I’d like to apologize for identifying individuals who presented letters to me at City Hall today,” Krewson tweeted on Thursday. “This was during one of my Facebook updates as I was answering routine questions. Never did I intend to harm anyone or cause distress. The update is removed and again, I apologize.”
Among others who condemned Krewson for the incident included St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura Jones and the American Civil Liberties Union’s Missouri chapter.
A statement from the ACLU called Krewson’s actions “pure and simple” intimidation, adding it was “shocking and misguided” to read aloud the names of individuals who “dare to express a different viewpoint on an issue of public concern.”
Jones called the incident “irrepressible” and joined calls urging Krewson to resign.
“I echo the calls for Mayor Krewson’s resignation,” Jones tweeted on Thursday. “Constituents should not fear retaliation for expressing their opinions on how our government aligns its spending priorities.”
At a time when there are national calls to defund the police and redistribute resources in a way that values black lives, now is not the time to be divisive. While we often disagree with the people we serve, we can do so without being disagreeable. 1/
— Tishaura O. Jones (@tishaura) June 27, 2020
Hundreds of protesters marched to Krewson’s house on Sunday, calling for her resignation. A man and a woman armed with guns and shouting at demonstrators passing their mansion in a private, gated community became a viral story.
Calls to “defund” and reform police departments across the country grew after George Floyd died in Minneapolis police custody last month. Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
