RALEIGH (WTVD) — Activists from across the country gathered in Raleigh on Monday to urge North Carolina lawmakers to prioritize care for people with disabilities and ensure more funding.
About 50 protesters in wheelchairs and on crutches made the trek from Glenwood South to the state Department of Health and Human Services near Dix Park.
According to our reporting partner, The News & Observer, they briefly blocked off the exit from the DHHS Adamsville facility, preventing workers from getting out.
The demonstration took place on the 25th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Olmstead decision, which banned unnecessary segregation of people with disabilities.
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Capitol Police officers escorted employees out of the building and to their cars, The News & Observer reported, and about 20 officers had arrived on the scene by mid-afternoon.
Police threatened to arrest protesters and charge them with kidnapping, false imprisonment and disorderly conduct if they did not move, according to The News & Observer.
Only one able-bodied protester was arrested, according to The News & Observer.
All police officers were assembled and had left the scene by 5:45 pm. Activists left 15 minutes later.
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