Joplin Residents Plan Protest Against Councilmember's Controversial Remarks

Protest scheduled to coincide with swearing in of newly elected council members following anti-trans comments by Ryan Jackson.

Apr. 13, 2026 at 2:58am

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A dynamic, fragmented painting depicting the silhouettes of protesters gathered outside a city hall building, conveying the energy and urgency of the demonstration against the councilmember's controversial statements.Protesters gather outside Joplin City Hall to voice their opposition to a councilmember's controversial anti-LGBTQ+ remarks.Joplin Today

Community members in Joplin, Missouri have organized a protest at City Hall to coincide with the swearing in of newly elected city council members. The protest follows controversial anti-trans statements made by current councilmember Ryan Jackson, who also threatened to publish personal information of local news staff online.

Why it matters

The protest highlights growing tensions in the community over issues of LGBTQ+ rights and representation, as well as concerns about elected officials abusing their power and making threats against the media.

The details

Organizers say the protest is meant to coincide with the swearing in of the newly elected Joplin council members at a special meeting tomorrow evening. The protest follows a news story about Jackson's anti-trans comments posted to social media on election day and his reaction to that story. Jackson was upset by the news outlet's use of the preferred pronouns of council candidate Ellie Wolsey, and threatened to publish the personal information of three staff members online in order to harass them.

  • The protest is scheduled from 5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. on April 14, 2026.
  • The swearing in ceremony for the newly elected Joplin city council members will take place during the protest.

The players

Ryan Jackson

A current Joplin city councilmember who made controversial anti-trans comments on social media and threatened to harass local news staff.

Ellie Wolsey

A Joplin city council candidate whose preferred pronouns were used in the news coverage that upset Councilmember Jackson.

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What’s next

The protest and swearing in ceremony will take place tomorrow evening at Joplin City Hall.

The takeaway

This protest highlights the ongoing tensions in Joplin over LGBTQ+ rights and representation, as well as concerns about elected officials abusing their power and making threats against the media. The community is sending a clear message that they will not tolerate such controversial and unethical behavior from their elected leaders.