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Degemer / Rummadoù / Nashville - Free Our People Hearings, March 2006 37
- ADAPT (1622)
USA TODAY WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2006 3A [image] [image caption]. By John Russell, AP [Headline] Disabled people protest [Subheading] Day 2 of Tenn. demonstration: Police arrest Crosby King near the Capitol in Nashville. About 30 people were arrested after disabled activists blocked streets to protest the state's long-term health care program. - ADAPT (1621)
■ THE CITY PAPER 3-23-06 CITY NEWS [image] [image caption] Photo by Josh Anderson. An unidentified motorist honks his horn as he is blocked by protesters on the corner of Eighth and Charlotte avenues on Monday. On Wednesday, state and Metro officials came to an agreement on how to better coordinate further such demonstrations. [Headline] Nicely, Serpas near agreement on protests [Subheading] Pair say 'higher level' personnel will plan more for future demonstrations BY JOHN RODGERS jrodgers@nashvillecitypapercom A day after bickering over the disruptive protests in downtown this week, an agreement appears to have been reached between the state and Metro Police to involve "higher-level" personnel when planning for future demonstrations. The disagreement began Tuesday after interim Department of Safety Commissioner Gerald Nicely sent an e-mail to state employees that said Metro Police "was well aware" that the protesters were coming Monday and that the traffic jam state workers experienced was a "Metro issue." Metro Police Chief Ronal Serpas then denied the city knew in advance that the protesters from the health care advocacy group American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today (ADAPT) were coming to block downtown streets. Tuesday night, Nicely and Serpas spoke. Wednesday, Nicely said, and Serpas confirmed, that the two have agreed to involve "higher-level" officials in planning for protests next time. "We agreed that we're going to get together and make sure that we work together and plan better for future events," Nicely said. [Subheading] Planning should've been better In retrospect, Nicely said higher-ups from the state and Metro should have met before the disruptive protests this week. "[The planning] was probably down at a lower level, and there's nothing wrong with the guys who are doing it," Nicely said. "It just should have been escalated to a higher level earlier." Serpas said after speaking with Nicely that he is "satisfied that we are moving forward" and that he had a cordial conversation with the commissioner. On Wednesday, the protesters, Who are pushing for more dollars and choices for home- and community-based health care as opposed to nurs-ing homes, moved their demonstrations from downtown to Metro Center, making stops at the state's TennCare Bureau and then traveling to the Nashville office of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Meanwhile at the Capitol, Col. Mike Walker, the head of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, instituted a restricted access policy Tuesday and Wednesday, meaning that "people without legitimate business" were not allowed inside the Capitol, said Melissa McDonald, a spokeswoman for the Department of Safety. Overall, Metro Police arrested more than 100 demonstrators Monday and Tuesday. No arrests were made Wednesday, according to an ADAPT spokesperson. CP - ADAPT (1620)
- ADAPT (1619)
- ADAPT (1618)
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2006 [Headline] State, Metro feud over protesters BY JOHN RODGERS jrodgers@nashvillecitypaper.com While more health care demonstrators were arrested downtown Tuesday, a high-ranking state official and Metro Police traded blame over the disruptive protests that occurred Monday. The dispute between interim Department of Safety Commissioner Gerald Nicely and Metro Police occurred after Nicely sent an e-mail to state employees Tuesday morning. Nicely's e-mail expressed appreciation to state employees for their "patience" Monday evening while they were being blocked by the demonstrators from leaving work. And he said the Metro Police Department knew about Monday's disruptive protests in advance. "Metro Nashville Police — which has sole jurisdiction over all city roads — was well aware that they were coming and well-versed in the actions they planned to take," Nicely wrote. "The traffic tie-ups you experienced [Monday] evening were a Metro issue." Metro Police officials, however, deny they ever knew anything about the protests and deny that their department met with state government in "planning meetings" prior to the demonstrations, an allegation Nicely states in the e-mail. "I know what the facts are" said Metro Police Chief Ronal Serpas. "The fact is that all afternoon [Monday], no one had any idea that this was going to be their behavior [Monday] afternoon." In addition, Metro Police spokesman Don Aaron pointed out that the demonstrators secured a state permit to protest at Legislative Plaza, which perhaps alerted the state to the situation. Serpas said he had not spoken with Nicely Tuesday. But when asked if Metro was doing anything to refute Nicely's e-mail, Serpas responded, "It's being worked on." "The facts didn't matter to him [Monday] when he wrote it," Serpas said. Nicely, who also serves as com-missioner of the Department of Transportation, could not be reached for additional comment Tuesday. While the protesters blocked several intersections Monday, they returned for a second day to block Charlotte Avenue in the shadow of the state Capitol. This time, however, they were not granted the same leniency as they were the first day. Monday, about 500 protesters from the group ADAPT were allowed to blockade several down-town intersections for about five hours before Metro Police started arresting the demonstrators, who were advocating for an audience with Gov. Phil Bredesen to express opposition to nursing homes and support of home-based health care. [image] [image caption] Todd Jackson uses a megaphone to lead a chant on Monday. Photo by Josh Anderson Tuesday, as soon as about 30 protesters blockaded Charlotte Avenue to state the same message, Metro Police started arresting the roughly 30 protesters, most of them disabled and in wheelchairs. "We accommodated them [Monday,]" Aaron said. "The message is out. This is totally unnecessary [Tuesday]." And this time, Metro took all of the demonstrators into custody. In contrast, about 70 citations were issued Monday while about only seven to 10 demonstrators were arrested. Bredesen's office denied meeting requests both Monday and Tuesday, saying ADAPT's move was a "publicity stunt." On Monday, some lawmakers were critical of Metro's allowing the protetsers to block the intersections for several hours. One of them, state Sen. Tim Burchett (R-Knoxville), called Metro's leadership "gutless" Monday. In response, Aaron didn't reference Burchett by name, but said "the lawmaker who has been overly critical from another city in Tennessee" had not been in police work before. - ADAPT (1617)
[This page continues the article from Image 1618. Full text is available on 1618 for easier reading.] - ADAPT (1616)
[Headline] Disabled Take Over Downtown Nashville [image] [image caption] Police began cuffing and removing protesters. Activists using power wheelchairs were the most difficult Cops dragged one and attempted to use the controls to drive another one from the street. Four hundred disabled people took over Capitol Hill in downtown Nashville on March 20-21. Governor Bredesen refused to meet with his disabled constituents for two days. Bredesen has cut two hundred thousand people from the state's Medicaid program and enforced severe restrictions on thousands of those he permitted to stay on the program. After Bredesen cut millions of dollars from the state Medicaid program, untold numbers of disabled people were forced into nursing homes. ADAPT organized the event to fight for an end to immoral state and federal policies that require elderly and disabled people to live in nursing homes against their will. They held a march and a day of testimony by people formerly warehoused in nursing homes. After several peaceful attempts to enter the Capitol to address an elected public official, the delegation blocked the Legislative Plaza area. Hundreds of folks in wheelchairs blocked at least half a dozen downtown intersections for hours. It was raining and the temperature was 40 degrees. Protestors wrapped themselves in raincoats and their chair's power controls in shower caps. The disabled protesters prevented hundreds of Lawmakers, state workers and legislative staffers from leaving work at the onset of rush hour. The protesters chanted: "Just like a nursing home you can't get out." Rather than listen to the voice of the people, Governor Bredesen responded with force: a huge police presence and barricades. The police moved in and arrested 80 people the first day and over 60 local and [boxed text] Help ADAPT Persuade Governor Bredesen to: national advocates the next day. 1. Support the passage, funding and implementation of the Tennessee Community Choices Act of 2006. 2. Reverse all funding cuts and policies in Tennessee that remove disabled and older Tennesseans from their own homes and force them into institutions. 3. Work with ADAPT and the National Governor's Association to implement state and federal "Money Follows the Person" (MFP) funding and policies. 4.Write Senator Frist and the Tennessee delegation telling them that Tennessee supports MiCASSA (Medicaid Community Attendant Services and Supports Act) and asking them to support MiCASSA and hold hearings on the bill. Bob Kafka 512-431-4085 Janine Bertram 503-504-9787 www.adapt.org [image] [image caption] The police realized they were not equipped with accessible transportation. Without a way to take those who use wheelchairs to the station for the arrest, the police ended up giving everyone citations. Mother Warriors Voice page 7