Don’t piss off the disabled
September 12th, 2007 10:02 am
As a follow-up to the pictures I posted about what I thought was a protest against the CTA; it appears that the protest aimed to get federal legislation to provide more access to community based services. From what I understand, currently those that are disabled, regardless of their overall health, are required to live in a nursing home.
On Monday, the day I took the pictures, the protest blocked four entrances and a lower-level parking garage at the AMA building.
From the story:
About 1:30 p.m., police issued 42 tickets and removed protesters from the building’s north entrance to allow for office employees to leave. About 2 p.m., the group ended its blockade of the other three entrances and the garage entrance.
The protesters held signs that read (among others), “Now you know what it’s like to be stuck in a nursing home.”
They didn’t stop there. On Tuesday they focused their efforts on the State of Illinois (emphasis mine):
About 3 p.m., approximately 200 protesters from the advocacy group ADAPT blocked the three main entrances and exits at the Thompson Center, wedging their wheelchairs into revolving doors. Earlier, they blocked escalators in the building and turnstiles and vending machines at the Clark/Lake Chicago Transit Authority station in the center.
Several state employees trapped inside the center looked over balconies to watch the protest. Meanwhile, people outside couldn’t get in to shop, eat at the food court in the basement or visit any of the state agencies in the 16-story structure.
These people don’t mess around.