Occupy St. Louis

On Occupy anniversary, protesters will take aim at Monsanto

Tim Lloyd — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 18:17:05 +0000

Tomorrow is the one year anniversary of Occupy Wall Street and local activist groups plan to mark the occasion by protesting biotechnology giant Monsanto.

Barbara Chicherio is with the Gateway Green Alliance, which opposes genetically modified organisms developed by St. Louis based Monsanto and other biotech companies.

She said tomorrow's protests will represent a shift within the Occupy movement to focus on specific issues.

May Day protesters take aim at Peabody tax policies

Joseph Leahy — Tue, 01 May 2012 21:22:59 +0000

About 150 activists marched outside Peabody Energy’s annual stockholder meeting in downtown St. Louis today.

The protesters decried an unfair tax code that they say allows the energy company to dodge paying its fair share of taxes. For instance, they say Peabody paid $0 in federal income taxes in 2008 and 2009; and $0 in state income taxes in 2010.

Peabody Energy's Corporate Communications Director Meg Gallagher says, however, the group’s numbers are inaccurate.

Occupy activists protest corporate tax code

Joseph Leahy — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 23:53:46 +0000

Occupy movement protesters blocked traffic outside Bank of America's regional headquarters Tuesday in downtown St. Louis. The group, including union workers, students, retirees, and clergy, staged a mock-game of dodge ball to protest how, in their view, corporations dodge paying their fair share of taxes.

Zach Chasnoff, an organizer for the group, says the movement chose the IRS's filing deadline to call attention to an unfair tax system that favors corporations over citizens.

Graffiti found in St. Louis park after Occupy arrests

Joseph Leahy — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 21:57:55 +0000

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Occupy activists are taking heat for graffiti found at the Compton Hill Reservoir Park. Overnight, walls and statues were vandalized with phrases including "class war," and "cops, pigs, murderers."

Occupy protester Brian Staack says the acts are likely related to a confrontation at the park Thursday night where St. Louis police arrested 13 activists.

Activists gather in St. Louis for Occupy Midwest conference

Joseph Leahy — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 22:55:54 +0000

Occupy movements from across the country are gathering this week in St. Louis to revive their populist protests against banks, corporations and government.

Rachael Perrotta, a media coordinator from Occupy Chicago said the regional conference will stage at least four non-violent group actions in St. Louis against various companies including Monsanto.

“Welcome to the American Spring," Perrotta said. "Our movement is expanding. We're growing. Winter was the time for internal organizing. Spring is the time to get back into the streets."