Story + photo gallery
By Doug Porter
The Senate may have put Trumpcare on hold for a few days, but San Diegans are continuing with a campaign expressing opposition to the proposed ‘repeal and replace’ legislation.
About 150 people gathered at the First Unitarian Universalist Church in Hillcrest on Tuesday evening for a ‘die-in,’ followed by an hour of rapid-fire and often emotional speeches and ending with a candlelight vigil on the grounds of the nearby UCSD Medical Center.
Speakers included:
- Rudy Vargas – Sen. Kamala Harris staffer
- Anthony Nguyen – Rep. Scott Peters staffer
- Nora Vargas – VP Planned Parenthood of Pacific Southwest
- Reverend Madison Shockley – Pilgrim United Church of Christ
- Dr Hami Ramani – local neurologist
- Gretchen Gordon – nurse army Rady Children’s
- Jan Spencley – Executive Director San Diegans for Health Coverage
- Shay Kawanomiller – Sharing an amazing ACA story
- Rory Chrc – 25 year HIV survivor
- Lori Saldana – former state assemblywoman
- Nathan Fletcher – former state assemblyman, veterans advocate
Similar protests and vigils were held in cities around the country on Tuesday, including Charlottesville VA, Birmingham AL, Greenwich CT, Charleston SC, Lafayette LA, and Houston TX.
Tuesday was also the start of a three-day People’s Filibuster in Washington DC. Planned Parenthood Action Fund staged a protest at the Capitol building featuring activists dressed up as handmaids from The Handmaid’s Tale.
@TaylorLorenz/Twitter jpg
On Wednesday night, groups including MoveOn.org will be organizing a human chain around the Capitol building. The decision to delay the Senate vote has not changed their plans.
From DCist.com:
The protests will still go ahead as planned (“it’s not like they’re canceling the vote,” a spokesperson says). Around 1,000 people have RSVPed to form the human chain around the Capitol…
It is unclear how Capitol Police would respond to the human chain around the Capitol, and a spokesperson has not responded to a request for comment.
Sen. Kamala Harris is among those planning to attend. “I’ll be there,” she tweeted. “Tell your friends, tell your neighbors.”
In the coming days campaigns to call and write Senators in opposition to Trumpcare will be augmented with actions at town halls, parades and other events in states around the country.
From the Washington Post wire:
Organizers at numerous “Resistance” groups, chastened by their premature celebrations after the House’s repeal effort seemed to stall, said that they will use the recess to ramp up pressure on Republicans. CREDO Action, which had organized 45,000 phone calls to Senate offices, planned to increase that number when senators went home. NARAL Pro-Choice America, Planned Parenthood, MoveOn and Daily Action were organizing their own phone banks, while Indivisible groups were organizing visits – and perhaps sit-ins – at local offices.
All of that would supplement under-the-radar but attention-grabbing TV ad campaigns from AARP, Protect Our Care, and other progressive and industry groups. The goal, activists said, is to educate voters and break through to local media, which had not often covered the development of the Senate bill on front pages or in newscasts.
Meanwhile, Republican leaders are acting as though they just can’t understand why people are upset.
Via Newsweek:
Speaker of the House Paul Ryan wishes all those folks on the left would cut it out with that “resistance” nonsense. Ryan, who had a big hand in crafting the House’s Obamacare replacement bill, dubbed the American Health Care Act, has a lot invested in the current health care debate and says liberals have burned themselves out while opposing the GOP.
Unfortunately, the only other local coverage of the Tuesday San Diego Indivisible protest was on CBS8 (I did see other cameras there).
Here’s my gallery of photos from Tuesday night’s event:
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Preach! -
Indivisible rabble rousers, getting ready to... peacefully protest. -
Rory Chrc - Perhaps the most moving speech of the night, and there were many -
Reverend Madison Shockley - Pilgrim United Church of Christ- was fired up -
Former assemble member Lori Saldana -
Former Assembly member Nathan Fletcher called the AHCA a "pile of sh*t" at an Indivisible rally in June, 2017 -
The walk over from the rally & die in at the Unitarian Church. -
Candle light vigil outside UCSD Medical Center
Don’t forget:
Impeachment March San Diego
Sunday July 2, 11am
County Building
1600 Pacific Highway
For More Information
Impeachment March Escondido
Sunday, July 2, 11am
Romano’s Macaroni Grill
202 East Via Rancho Parkway
For More Information
Looking for some action? Check out the Weekly Progressive Calendar, published every Friday in this space, featuring Demonstrations, Rallies, Teach-ins, Meet Ups and other opportunities to get your activism on.
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I read the Daily Fishwrap(s) so you don’t have to… Catch “the Starting Line” Monday thru Friday right here at San Diego Free Press (dot) org. Send your hate mail and ideas to DougPorter@SanDiegoFreePress.Org Check us out on Facebook and Twitter
Doug Porter
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Thank you Mr. Porter.