The McCloskeys live in one of the few gated communities within the City of St. Louis. So there are controls as to who can drive on the streets, which the McCloskeys claim they are private. There are gates, and there’s controversy if the protesters broke the gate or as @paulw states the gate was left open.
There is this small triangular piece of land between the gate, street, sidewalk, and the McCloskey’s property. And yes the McCloskeys have threatened to sue the home owners’ association over this small piece of land claiming it’s part of their property instead of being owned by the home owner’s association.
They connived to get the house, though it was run down and they restored it, but in the end if they had wanted a quieter existence they shouldn’t have bought a house that backs up to a synagogue, that faces a private street, but one of the busiest streets in St Louis City runs along the side of their house. And yes there’s a wall but sidewalks inside the private section, public sidewalks along side the wall, and a gate in between.