Capitol Police removed disabled protesters from outside Republican Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell’s office in the U.S. Capitol building on June 22.
Raw Story reported that police “dragged” protesters away.
Video backed up the account that officers dragged protesters.
According to Raw Story, “Witnesses reported seeing blood on the floor outside McConnell’s office as police physically removed the protesters,” but it was not clear whether any injuries had resulted.
The Washington Post reported that the protest against the Republican healthcare bill (which some are calling Trumpcare), was a sit in.
“No cuts to Medicaid — save our liberty!” protesters chanted, according to The Post.
The protest was organized by an organization called ADAPT. In a press release, ADAPT said, “About 60 members of the national disability rights organization ADAPT are staging a Die-in at Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s office. Advocates are protesting McConnell’s Senate healthcare bill, demanding he bring an end to attacks on disabled people’s freedom which are expected in the bill.”
“The American Health Care Act caps and significantly cuts Medicaid which will greatly reduce access to medical care and home and community based services for elderly and disabled Americans who will either die or be forced into institutions,” said Bruce Darling, an ADAPT organizer taking part in the protest, in the press release. “Our lives and liberty shouldn’t be stolen to give a tax break to the wealthy. That’s truly un-American.”
The Daily Caller reported, via an anonymous source, that “McConnell will bring an Obamacare repeal bill to a vote, even if it lacks necessary support, in order to put senators on the record.”
As the Daily Caller described the Republican bill, it “would end the individual and employer insurance mandates from the Affordable Care Act, remove Medicaid funding from Planned Parenthood for one year, and phase out federal funding for Medicaid expansion starting in 2020.” The bill is called the Better Care Reconciliation Act.
Protesters have targeted Mitch McConnell for months. McConnell is a Republican from Kentucky.
People expressed outrage on social media about the removing of the disabled protesters by Capitol police. Wrote one man, “Capitol Police removing people from their wheelchairs is a simple image to prove how cruel Republicans are.” Wrote another, “@SenSchumer why does McConnell get to hurt people who use wheelchairs? Capitol police were yanking them out of wheelchairs during protest.”
However, another Twitter user wrote, “Capitol Police removing disabled protesters outside McConnell’s office with dignity. They are a class act.”
The Capitol police, of course, were lauded as heroes after several officers protected congressmen at a Congressional baseball practice when a gunman opened fire.