Thread: Nurses join Occupy Chicago, protest arrests

Nurses join Occupy Chicago, protest arrests

By SOPHIA TAREEN | Associated Press
Monday, October 24, 2011 8:27 am

Nurses joining Chicago’s anti-Wall Street movement said health care, jobs and free speech were among their top concerns Monday as they stationed themselves outside Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office for a demonstration against weekend arrests of protesters.

Dozens of protesters — members of National Nurses United and Occupy Chicago — chanted, “Drop the charges now!’’

Two nurses were among the 130 demonstrators who were arrested early Sunday when they refused to leave Chicago’s Grant Park after it closed at 11 p.m. The demonstrators were charged with criminal trespass and released.

Nurses also have joined protests in other cities, often setting up first-aid tents.

Nurse Martese Chism, 50, was among those arrested in Chicago. She believes the city ordinance setting the park curfew impedes on protesters’ rights.

“I was willing to be arrested because I believe in the freedom of speech,’’ she said. “Just because it’s a law doesn’t mean it’s right.’’

Occupy Chicago started weeks ago as a small spinoff of the Occupy Wall Street protests in New York City, with about 20 people holding homemade signs outside the U.S. Federal Bank building. The group has since grown steadily at that location and members have been seeking a place to camp out permanently. This was the second week police arrested protesters in mass at Grant Park.

Emanuel and police have said they will look at ways to accommodate the protesters, but neither has offered specifics. Earlier this month Occupy Iowa members reached a deal with Des Moines’ mayor to move from the state Capitol to a city park, avoiding arrests.

Emanuel said Monday the city has achieved its objective of respecting people’s rights to free speech while still enforcing the law.

“There’s a balancing act,’’ he said at an unrelated news conference.

Cook County public health nurse JoAnn Lingle said the protesters’ message resonated with her. She has lost her job twice and is concerned about unemployment. She also said she owes more on her Chicago condo than it’s worth and she wants better medical care for the public.

“We’re trying to help people get access to health care,’’ she said.

http://www.pantagraph.com/news/state-an ... z1cbBO3t5L

National Nurses United

Union? No surprises here.