Fifty Five Arrested
Continued from page one . . .
ADAPT Action Report: Monday, September 10, 2007.By Tim Wheat
With a monopoly on who gets into a facility, physicians have a natural conflict of interest when they are invested in the institutions where they are referring people. But it is not really known what individual doctors want because the AMA in its white tower hangs on to a medical model of individual's life decisions. While every American has a right to refuse medical treatment, even life-sustaining remedies, the AMA is working to retain the choice of people with disabilities living in their own home or in an institution.
Reportedly, the head of the AMA Dr. Michael Maves, did not respond to the requests for negotiation. He seemingly pushed to have people detained and just before 1:30 in the afternoon the Chicago Police started arresting ADAPT activists. Some activists who did not use wheelchairs had to be picked up and carried away by the Chicago Police. Activists were sited at the scene for "failure to disperse," and the north door blockade was rebuilt and reinforced by several police.
"We sealed in the AMA from corner to corner," said Rahnee Patrick of Chicago. "We took the building over and when the AMA representative said they couldn't meet our demands, we told him to ‘stick it.'"
The day before Ms Patrick had trained a class of new ADAPT activists on non-violent, civil disobedience. The class practiced blocking doors and acting decisively and assertively without being violent. ADAPT's firm style was on display with the Chicago Police today as activists packed in around four doorways and the garage, some fresh from the class held the day before.
"Our line stretched for six city blocks," said Bob Liston of Montana ADAPT. "The Chicago Police had so much respect for what we were doing, they didn't even allow pedestrians to pass through our line."
Photos of the Arrests by Dawn Zuppelli
