People in wheelchairs and with ventilators showed up to stage a "die-in" outside Mitch McConnell's office, but they were violently removed by Capitol Police.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell finally unveiled the Senate GOP's draft of Trumpcare on Thursday and was met with several dozen protesters gathered in front of his office, who were then aggressively removed by law enforcement.
CNN reported that the attempted "die-in" demonstrated in opposition to the legislation was organized by ADAPT, a national advocacy group for those with disabilities. In a statement, the group made it clear where they stand in regard to the GOP's moves to dismantle American health care.
"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," the statement reads. "Our lives and liberty shouldn't be stolen to give a tax break to the wealthy. That's truly un-American."
Capitol Police arrived to remove the demonstrators, and according to images and video footage on social media, the situation got rough. Raw Story reported that some protesters with physical disabilities were dragged away, and witnesses claimed that one officer even dropped a protester in a wheelchair. Others said they saw blood on the floor.
"The government wants to kill me," a woman yelled as police escorted her out.
Capitol Police arresting protesters who rely on wheelchairs. They dropped one.#NoCutsNoCaps pic.twitter.com/R6OiJ5P1h7
— jordan 🌹 (@JordanUhl) June 22, 2017
Capitol Police are physically removing protesters who are staging a "die-in" in front of McConnell's office pic.twitter.com/8BU0dW63VI
— Andrew Desiderio (@desiderioDC) June 22, 2017
Cheering as this woman is put into the Capitol Police vehicle. pic.twitter.com/vQrEt7nuDs
— Lissandra Villa (@LissandraVilla) June 22, 2017
Capitol police are dragging people away from Mcconnell's office. pic.twitter.com/ldvakYdvl4
— Mariam Khan (@MKhan47) June 22, 2017
Police told CNN that 43 protesters were arrested in total and detained for "crowding, obstructing, or incommoding."
Republicans have already come out opposing the Senate rendition of the AHCA, and so a fierce debate is expected on Capitol Hill. With over half of voters in deep red states opposed to the bill and people in wheelchairs demonstrating in the halls of Congress against Trumpcare, the chances of it passing are slim.
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