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- GRASSROOTS COLLABORATIVE
- 637 S. DEARBORN, THIRD FLOOR CHICAGO, IL 60605
- www.thegrassrootscollaborative.org
- PRESS RELEASE
- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
- March 30, 2014
- COMMUNITY LEADERS STAND BEHIND ARRESTED AFFORDABLE CARE ACT OUTREACH WORKERS, DEMAND APOLOGY AND INVESTIGATION OF RACIST POLICING TACTICS
- GRASSROOTS COLLABORATIVE PLEDGES TO CONTINUE WORK TO ENROLL MORE CHICAGO RESIDENTS IN OBAMACARE LEADING UP TO MARCH 31ST DEADLINE
- CHICAGO - Following the arrests of two Affordable Care Act (ACA) outreach workers Tuesday, March 25th, community leaders held a press conference Sunday to demand the charges against Felipe Hernandez and Kevin Tapia be dropped. The racist dynamic of the arrests has outraged activists and community residents across the city. An online petition fueled through social media has already generated hundreds of letters into the Mayor's office about the case.
- “We are here today because educating Chicagoans about affordable healthcare coverage is not a crime, but racist profiling by police is. We are calling on Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Garry McCarthy to drop the charges, apologize, and institute anti-racist training for all Chicago Police officers,” said Amisha Patel, executive director of Grassroots Collaborative. Grassroots Collaborative received funding to outreach to low-income Chicagoans about the Affordable Care Act.
- Felipe and Kevin are both charged with "Soliciting unlawful business" (§ 10-8-515) and are scheduled to appear in court on May 16th, 2014.
- “It’s crazy, I never would have thought informing people about Obamacare would get me in handcuffs.” said Felipe Hernandez. “I was doing something positive for my community. We've been out here throughout this horrible winter talking to uninsured families. I wasn't doing anything wrong.”
- Charles Brown, Action Now member and retired Chicago Police Officer explained, “The charge against Kevin and Felipe is ridiculous, there is nothing unlawful about community organizing. We should be encouraging this behavior not punishing it. The arrest of these two young men is an outrageous and shameful act on the part of my former employer, the Chicago Police Department.”
- “The conversations we are having with Chicago residents are important,” stated Moises Garcia, canvasser for the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council and ACA enrollee. “We know that many people in our community still do not have health care. We help the people we talk to better understand the process and what their options are. The work we are doing is especially critical right now so close to the March 31st deadline.”
- After the press conference was over a dozen canvassers went back out to door knocking to continue to inform residents about the March 31st deadline for the Affordable Care Act.
- “We will continue to outreach to Chicago residents and we will continue to stand against policies and police tactics that attempt to criminalize youth, criminalize people of color, and criminalize community organizing.” said Amisha Patel, Executive Director of Grassroots Collaborative.
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- Grassroots Collaborative is Action Now, American Friends Service Committee - Great Lakes Region, Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation, Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, Chicago Teachers Union, Enlace Chicago, Illinois Hunger Coalition, Service Employees International Union Local 73, Service Employees International Union Healthcare Illinois Indiana, Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation, UNITE HERE Local 1
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- Coverage:
- Charges for handing out info on Obamacare likely to be dropped: cops
- 3/31/14, Chicago Sun-Times
- http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/26538473-418/charges-for-handing-out-info-on-obamacare-likely-to-be-dropped-cops.html
- Cops expect dismissal of charges vs. activists seeking Obamacare signups
- 3/30/14, Chicago Tribune
- http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-charges-to-be-dropped-against-2-activists-charged-with-illegal-soliciting-20140330,0,7555812.story
- Latino Obamacare Workers Arrested, Claim They Were Racially Profiled
- 3/31/14, Huffington Post
- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/31/obamacare-workers-racial-profiling-chicago_n_5064450.html?utm_hp_ref=chicago&ir=Chicago
- Detenidos tras informar de Obamacare
- 3/31/14, Telemundo
- http://www.telemundochicago.com/noticias/Detenidos-por-distribuir-panfletos-de-Obamacare-253214681.html
- CPD: Judge Likely To Dismiss Charges Against Obamacare Outreach Workers
- 3/31/14, Progress Illinois
- http://www.progressillinois.com/news/content/2014/03/31/chicago-police-judge-likely-dismiss-charges-against-obamacare-outreach-worke
- Informaban sobre Obamacare y los arrestaron
- 3/31/14, Hoy
- http://www.vivelohoy.com/noticias/8395481/informaban-sobre-obamacare-y-los-arrestaron-en-chicago
- Local community groups outraged by recent arrests of ACA outreach workers
- Grupos comunitarios locales indignados por recientes arrestos de promotores del ACA
- 4/3/14, The Gate News
- http://www.thegatenewspaper.com/2014/04/local-community-groups-outraged-by-recent-arrests-of-aca-outreach-workers/
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