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Health Care Tue May 20 2014
Activists Removed After Protesting Lack of South Side Trauma Center
Activists protested the lack of a trauma center on the South Side by sitting in at a University of Chicago construction site on Monday. The four protesters were dragged from the site by University of Chicago police, but no one seemed to be arrested, according to the Sun-Times.
"The University of Chicago upholds the right to peaceful and safe demonstrations, but cannot allow protests that jeopardize anyone's safety," University of Chicago Medicine said in a statement.
According to the statement, University of Chicago works with protesters who will protest at the medical campus to find areas that are safe both for the protesters as well as for patients. Monday's protest occurred on a secured, fenced construction site, according to University of Chicago.
"Despite repeatedly offering the protesters alternative locations that are safe and on public property, they chose to remain on the construction site," University of Chicago Medicine said in a statement. "As a result, we had no choice but to remove them from the location, for their safety and that of the workers at the site."
According to the statement, no charges are planned for the protesters.
University of Chicago is considering submitting a bid for the Barack Obama presidential library. Activists argue the university should not get the presidential library until an adult trauma center is opened on the South Side at University of Chicago.
The University of Chicago operates the South Side's only burn unit as well as a pediatric trauma center at Comer Children's Hospital.
