The Phoenix Gazette Thurs., April 9, 1987

Title: Disabled group ends four days of protests
By Scott Craven
The Phoenix Gazette

Members of American Disabled for Accessible Public Transit ended four days of protest with a show of unity in front of a downtown Phoenix hotel while expressing concern for 29 colleagues still in jail.

Members proceeded single file for several blocks chanting “access now” before assembling in front of the Hyatt Regency Wednesday night.

ADAPT wants to see wheelchair lifts installed on all buses and is in Phoenix to protest during the convention of the American Public Transportation Association.
The conventioneers are staying at the Hyatt.

Organizers said the protests, which resulted in more than 60 arrests since Sunday, were successful in bringing the transportation problems of the disabled to the forefront.

But with ADAPT members scheduled to leave today, many worried about the fate of the 29 who remained in jail Wednesday night.

“We came here, accomplished what we set out to do and now we want to go home,” said Mike Landwehr, an ADAPT member from Chicago. “But not all of us are being allowed to do that.”

Landwehr said that in the past protests, city officials had allowed those in jail to be released on their own recognizance once the demonstrations were over. He said he expected the same thing to happen today “although you can never be sure.”

Country sheriff’s spokesman Cpl. Joe Rossano said most of the 29 in jail were being held in lieu of $150 bonds after they were arrested Tuesday for investigation of trespassing.

Police spokesman Sgt. Brad Thiss said seven of the 29 were being held on $1,300 bond for disobeying a court order and criminal trespassing.

Created on

Thursday 11 July 2013

Posted on

Thursday 3 August 2017

Tags

ADAPT - American Disabled for Accessible Public Transit, APTA - American Public Transit Association, arrests, held in jail, Hyatt Regency Hotel, lifts on buses, Maricopa County Jail, Mike Landwehr

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