Republican Sen. Cory Gardner finally had enough of the disabled protesters at his office begging him not to cut their Medicaid. So he had them arrested.
After days of a "die-in" at the Denver office of Republican Sen. Cory Gardner, disabled protesters were zip-tied, removed, and arrested.
The protesters had been in Gardner's office for three days, and planned to stay there until Gardner had made a commitment to protect Medicaid spending and oppose the Republican bill to repeal Obamacare and gut their health care.
The men and women, some in wheelchairs or lying on the floor, were in the office to protest Gardner's support for the bill, which would impact millions — especially the disabled — who rely on Medicaid. The Republican proposal suggests slashing at least $770 billion from Medicaid, while handing out tax cuts to the extremely wealthy.
Disability rights advocates like ADAPT have been at the forefront of opposing the Republican bill.
As police came in to remove them, some chanted, "Rather go to jail than to die without Medicaid!"
Another video shows people in wheelchairs being pulled out of Gardner's office, as police confiscate their cell phones. Protesters chanted "we are people" and "shame on you" as police removed them from the premises.
The Denver Post reports that while in wheelchairs, "The hands and ankles of all of them were zip-tied by police."
Before the protest, Gardner's state director told the protesters that their presence in his office was supposedly in violation of their lease in the building.
But his office gave a different story to local news.
"Earlier this evening, Denver police asked the individuals to leave," Gardner's office said in a statement. "When they declined to leave the police were forced to remove them due to several factors, including serious concerns for their health and safety."
Gardner's office was the site of another health care protest earlier in the week, where women pushing him to oppose the bill's cuts to vital women's services were kept in a hot room as temperatures soared to 90 degrees.
