Fight following healthcare meeting, arrests made

By Casey Nolen

KSDK -- It was billed as an informational session on "Aging in America," but clearly the issue that people were most passionate about at Congressman Russ Carnahan's meeting Thursday night was healthcare reform.

"Too many there showed up with no intention to give respect to anyone," Carnahan said Friday during a news conference in downtown St. Louis. "Their purpose was to disrupt, was to prevent people from having a civil discussion, even a spirited discussion."

Protestors and supporters of President Barack Obama's healthcare proposal packed the gymnasium at a Mehlville Middle School.

Inside the crowd was vocal and outside the overflow crowd became violent said the St. Louis County Police. Captured on amateur video were fights, shouting matches and arrests.

Police arrested six people, including a reporter for the Post-Dispatch. Three people were arrested for assault.

Opponents of the Congressman accused people wearing union shirts of attacking an activist who was handing out flyers. Meanwhile, union organizers are accusing protestors of attacking their members and a reverend who was at the meeting in support of healthcare reform.

"To the extent people were crossing the lines of civility, to the extent that it got out of control, I don't care whose supporter you are," Carnahan said. "I don't care what side of the debate you're on, that's not helpful and I condemn that kind of activity."

However, Michelle Moore, a member of the St. Louis Tea Part Coalition who attended Thursday's meeting, does not think are out of control.

"I just hope people try to be emotional and passionate, but keep that in check at its highest form," Moore said. "I know we're being labeled as misconstruing information, but we don't see it that way. We feel like we're just being fed a bunch of talking points and nobody's really listening to what we're saying."

Senator Claire McCaskill was to hold two public meetings on health care next week.

One, set for Tuesday night, has been cancelled by the University City school system, where the meeting was to be held, for security and safety concerns.

Below is a YouTube video featuring part of the aforementioned altercation at the town hall event.