Brian Staak, 21 Kiener Plaza, Downtown St. Louis
In an effort to celebrate the people who keep our city interesting, Daily RFT is launching a new weekly blog post, "Bold Types," featuring photos and street interviews with the fashionistas, fresh faces and free spirits of our town.
Would you say you look Protest Chic? Well, these are the clothes I've been wearing for days at the protest, and these are the clothes I went to jail in for our cause, so I guess I would be Protest Chic.
Did anyone in jail compliment your attire? Yes, one officer did comment that he liked my jacket.
What are you trying to do? We're trying to get 99 percent of the population's voice heard over the one percent, which is made up of 400 people that run corporations that generate unlimited moneys for legislation and such. None of us can afford a lobbyist, so how is our voice to be equally represented?
How's the response been? It's actually been really well. We've had a lot of people come out in solidarity. Even some of the officers who booked us said they supported our cause and felt badly about having to jail us.
What do you hope to succeed? An eventual end to super-PACs, through which corporations can donate endless moneys toward candidates. There's no limits. I'd like to see a repeal. And I think we've already showed signs of success because people are stopping on the street to ask us what this is about. And that's the first step in change.
Why does it say 'CLAMS' on the bill of your hat? Some of my friends are into thrash metal. They wear flat-billed hats with slogans like 'party' or 'pizza' or 'beer.' I thought it was ridiculous so I got this hat from an oyster club in Daytona Beach, and I wrote 'clams.'
How does it feel to be the best-looking guy here? Well thank you, I would have to say it feels pretty great, because very rare is the instance when I get to be the best looking.
Are you the best smelling, too? Oh, I'm not so sure about that one. I have been here for a couple days.
