By Dawn Suggs | The St. Louis American
Many people emerged from their cars in the pouring rain. Some came by wheelchair or with strollers to the “No Kings” protest at the Tamm Avenue Overpass, which crosses Interstate 64, in St. Louis’ Dogtown neighborhood last Saturday morning, Oct. 18. Hundreds of people holding signs stood in grass banks on both sides of the overpass and on both sides of the freeway.
Protesters held up signs while on the bridge itself and waved mostly American flags, though a rainbow flag was visible among them. A series of large black signs with white letters read, “WE THE PEOPLE ARE PISSED!” and a big white banner, hung down from the top, flapping in the wind and rain, stated in black letters large enough for cars from far away to see, “TAX the RICH.”
“I’m a patriot. Because I’m here doesn’t mean that I hate America.”
Michelle Maxey
Some of the signs, which stood out in the southwest grass bank above the freeway, included a banner held by two protesters that stated, “No Kings in America since 1776.” A man on top of the bridge held a sign that read, “I will not stay silent so that you can stay comfortable” and a woman on the bank above the highway held a sign that simply stated, “Protect the constitution.”
This No Kings protest, the second this year, was “more easily accessible” than the rally and march that would start an hour later at downtown St. Louis’ Keiner Park Plaza, said “Tamm Bridge protest” co-organizer Joan Lipkin of DanceTheVote. The group worked in collaboration with Indivisible and St. Louis RESIST to organize the protest.
“We see about 100 cars per minute on the bridge. In the course of three hours, we might be seen by an estimated 18,000 people,” Lipkin said. “We can’t afford time on television, and this is an affordable way to be heard.”
Michelle Maxey, a senior African American woman, said, “I want the administration to see that we’re out here. That everyone in this country is not with his programs. There are people out here who disagree and I want him to see that.”
She said the top issues that concern her are “having armed troops on our city streets, the handling of immigrants, whether they’re here legally or not and the right to vote.”
“With the redistricting and everything, I’m really afraid that something’s going to happen where our vote isn’t going to count,” she added. “I’m a patriot. Because I’m here doesn’t mean that I hate America.”
Gov. Mike Kehoe last month authorized the Missouri National Guard to support ICE administratively from Oct. 1-Sept. 30, 2026. He also signed a redistricting map into law that gerrymanders Missouri and will likely take away a U.S. House seat from Democratic Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver, an African American and longtime congressman representing the Kansas City area.
Lipkin said the idea of the protest on the overpass was to remind people what’s going on in the country and give them “something interesting to talk about at dinner.” She said there are many ways citizens can demonstrate their support of democracy and suggested one way was to join the Tamm overpass protest.
“You can take an Uber and find a place to sit,” she said. “A lot of seniors and people with disabilities show up, which is very important to me — that we have a way to include people.”
Lipkin thanked Theresa Hayes, an African American woman from University City, for showing up for the protest despite a rain storm. Hayes, 69, told Lipkin, “Please let me know when you do another action because I want to be at every one.”