Sit-in leads to 3 arrests
By: Amir Kurtovic
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In the midst of the national health care debate, a group of activists in St. Louis took part in a pro-health care reform protest that resulted in the arrest of three people, including a Webster University alumna.
Cher Lowther, a 1996 WU graduate, was one of those arrested for trespassing while staging a sit-in at the Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield offices in downtown St. Louis, Nov. 2.
"I'm here putting myself on the line, willing arrest, because we need to bring drastic attention to the health care issue," said Lowther, while sitting in front of a lobby door at the Anthem building on 1813 Chestnut St.
St. Louis police officers were on the scene and warned the group of about 20 protestors they would be arrested if they refuse to leave the private property.
After repeated warnings, more than an hour into the protest that started at 10 a.m., police officers arrested the three people who still refused to leave. The other two arrested were Mark Reed and Colleen Kelly, both of St. Louis.
Lowther and Reed refused to cooperate and were handcuffed and carried down the steps leading to the building lobby.
All three were charged with trespassing on private property and released later on the same day, according to St. Louis police.
Ellen MacPherson, a junior film production major, attended the protest to show support for the cause and to document the event. Mark Reed, the organizer of the protest, is a close family friend and asked her to shoot video to be posted online.
"It was encouraging just to see that there are people who are concerned, who are taking action and doing something," MacPherson said. "I think that more young people should get involved and take a cue from the previous generation."
Deb Wiethop, a spokesperson for Anthem, said the police were contacted because the protesters were blocking the main entrance of the building and making it impossible for workers to do their job. Wiethop also pointed out that the protesters could have remained on the sidewalk in front of the building to avoid being arrested.
But that was not the point of the event.
The protest was part of a larger national campaign organized by Mobilization For Health Care For All, an advocacy group supporting a national single-payer health care system.
The group encourages people to stage sit-in events and get arrested to show their support for single-payer health care. According to the group's Web site, 919 people around the country have so far pledged to participate in the protests.
Protesters at the event requested to speak with the CEO of Anthem and carried signs that read, "Anthem puts patients before profits" and "Anthem profits, we die."
A statement was read from Melanie Shouse, a St. Louis native who was refused treatment by the health insurance company when she was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer.
"With no savings, no real assets and no longer able to shop for a better private health plan due to my now pre-existing condition I had no other option than to apply to the Missouri Medicaid program," wrote Shouse in the statement. "My treatment commenced immediately, and I am standing here today thanks to the state Medicaid and federal Medicare programs."
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