Success in Chicago. Sit-ins in health insurance offices next week in Seattle, Cleveland, LA, DC, Atlanta, NY, and more

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Thursday, movement leaders in Chicago did the second “Patients Not Profit” sit-in of The Mobilization for Health Care for All. While dozens of supporters rallied outside Cigna’s Chicago office, the “Cigna 7″ were dragged out and arrested simply for demanding a meeting with a company representative to ask them to immediately approve the doctor-requested care that they deny their members every day to make a profit. Their courageous sacrifice deeply moved supporters and drew strong local and even national press coverage that shows that the story of this campaign is only just beginning and growing rapidly. The Chicago sit-in was covered by the Associated Press, regional television station WGN, the Chicago Tribune, public radio, Telemundo, and more.

The Mobilization is gaining momentum – and increasing attention from the media – as we build toward our national launch in just under a week. On October 15th, when people like you sit in in cities across the country we are going to prove that something big is starting in our country: the American people are finally standing up to the insurance company death panels that have been abusing us for generations. Local leaders in nearly a dozen cities including Los Angeles, Washington DC, Cleveland, Portland, and Atlanta will hold “Patients Not Profit” sit-ins next Thursday. And we’re just getting started.

In under two weeks, well over 1000 people have signed up to participate in the sit-ins including over 700 who are willing risk arrest. We’ve been blown away by the tremendous response and our biggest challenge right now is simply keeping up with all the interest and providing organizing support to everyone who wants to be a part of this historic campaign. We need to expand our organizing team as quickly as possible – and we’re doing so – but we need your help to make it happen. Even with our commitment to operating at bare minimum costs, we can’t bring on the additional organizers we need to meet the huge demand this campaign has generated without major new financial support from people like you.

Please donate now to help us. Click here to donate. Donations are tax deductible.

Stay tuned for details on the location and time of the sit-ins happening on the 15th – and for an announcement of our next steps beyond next week.

You can sample some of the great media coverage the Chicago sit-in received below. Next week we expect to see much bigger media breakthroughs.

Also, the Mobilization had an excellent write up in Black Agenda Report, also linked below. It’s a great indication of how our campaign is energizing the base of Americans who want real health care reform – Medicare for All – in new ways that have never been seen before.

Please make sure your networks know about the Mobilization for Health Care for All.

And, please donate today if you can.

Thanks for your support. Together, we can make possible reform that finally guarantees health care to everyone in our country.

Kevin, Katie, Kai, Julia and the Mobilization Team

Press Coverage Links:

Associated Press: http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/10/09-1

WGN: http://www.wgntv.com/videobeta/watch/?watch=1316ea73-6beb-4fbd-b472-1692c3afa322

Black Agenda Report: http://www.blackagendareport.com/?q=content/will-civil-disobedience-health-care-make-obama-and-dems-listen

Telemundo: http://www.telemundochicago.com/video/21242887/index.html

Flickr Photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/43443132@N08/3993191197/

Prosperity Agenda: http://www.prosperityagenda.us/node/2108