More than 1,000 protesters push back against lawmakers at ‘Stand Up, Fight Back’ rally
EDITOR'S NOTE: An organization not in attendance was removed from the list.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
Protesters flooded all three floors of Missouri's Capitol rotunda on Wednesday to challenge state lawmakers, whom they claim are going against the will of the people.
Several organizations around the state come together a noon for the "Stand Up, Fight Back" rally.
Major issues raised were paid sick leave and abortion access. Both were approved by voters in 2024, however, legislation in the 2025 general session, like House Bill 567 repealed mandated sick leave, while House Joint Resolution 73 put abortion access back on the 2026 ballot.
Alejandro Gallardo, a Columbia restaurant worker with Missouri Jobs With Justice, assisted with door-knocking to put the bill that added paid sick leave on the ballot.
"It wasn't just in Kansas City or St. Louis, it was all across the state. We got in the bootheel down in the old industrial areas, large majorities were in favor of this," Gallardo said. "It was devastating to see the majority of the legislature here just ignore the will of the people, ignore the will of workers."
"People knew what they were voting for, we spoke to people," Richard Eiker with Missouri Workers Center and Stand Up KC said. "We're going to keep on pushing to get, you know, better working conditions to get paid sick, time off."
"When we vote for something at the ballot box, we don't want them [lawmakers] to come in and just nitpick things here and there that they don't like and take it out, because we need all of those things," said Bill Thompson, who was also with Missouri Workers Center and Stand Up KC.
Protesters also raised concerns about several topics including the legislature’s recent push for anti-LGBTQ+ policies, access to health care and the new mid-decade congressional map.
Mandy Monsees, a transgender military veteran and member of PROMO, traveled to the protest from Springfield.
"3% of the population, total population in Missouri, but this year alone, there's over 21 bills against LGBT people," Monsees said. "I fought for freedom and democracy around the world for 24 years and now I have to fight at home for my own democracy and rights."
Wednesday's event was similar to a September 2025 rally where hundreds gathered to protest lawmakers filing the initial bills on the same issues.
According to the press release, 16 statewide organizations will be represented in the rally:
- Missourians with SEIU Healthcare
- SEIU Local 1
- Missouri Workers Center
- Abortion Action Missouri
- Missouri Jobs With Justice
- Action St. Louis
- PROMO Missouri
- Beacon Reproductive Health Network
- Heartland Alliance for Progress
- Indivisible KC and Indivisible STL
- Planned Parenthood Great Plains Vote
- Planned Parenthood Great Rivers Action
- UAW Local 31, UAW Local 249 and UAW Local 2250
Rep. David Tyson Smith (D-Columbia) called the protest "exciting," encouraging voters to use their voice.
"What's shocking to me in this building is that people pass bills and then the voters vote for things and then the legislature overturns it," Tyson Smith said. "This legislature is not in lockstep with what the people want and it's a shame when they're passing bills in this building and the people are so upset they have to flood the Capitol."
ABC 17 News reached out to Speaker of the House Jon Patterson (R-Lees Summit) and Senate Pro-Tempore Cindy O'Laughlin (R-Shelbina) for comment.
