Rochester ADAPT hits Congressman Kuhl and VP Cheney

A Kuhl Action! Rochester ADAPT on the Trail of MiCASSA

On a warm fall day, Friday September 22, 2006 a band of forty ADAPT members met at Rundell Library. Under the ADAPT 'invisibility cloak', we were 'hidden in plain sight'-- just a group of people with disabilities on a field trip, chatting amicably while watching the regional law enforcement prepare for the visit of Vice President Dick Cheney. Vice President Cheney was coming to Rochester to support a fundraiser for Congressman Randy Kuhl. Despite repeated meetings and communications from ADAPT, Randy Kuhl has not become a MiCASSA cosponsor. When meetings, phone calls and letters don't work - it's time for ADAPT to take direct action.

There were sharpshooters on the roofs of the Convention Center, police on all floors of the parking garage, and the surrounding streets were cut off to pedestrian and car traffic. A protest action looked impossible. Nevertheless, ADAPTers tightly lined up, and marched right under the police line tape at South Avenue and Broad Street, in to the Vice Presidential Security Zone. Rochester Police positioned at the corner quickly responded by physically moving Shelly Perrin's wheelchair, but our ADAPTers went around like water around a rock. Bruce Darling was grabbed and restrained, face down, on a police car. Norita Darling, Bruce's mom, saw the incident, but kept on walking. Aware that there were larger issues at stake, she focused upon what needed to get done by ADAPT. As more and more ADAPTers poured into the security zone, City, county and state police sprinted down the street to greet us. ADAPTers were grabbed and pulled back to the other side of the police line. After nearly every ADAPTer had been into the secure zone and been dragged back out, we gathered our troops and did an about face, and marched off, down the Broad Street Bridge.

We headed for Main Street, wheelchairs leading the way. While the officers told the group to cross to the side of the street opposite the convention center, the group wandered back toward the convention center. When we got too close for the police's comfort, things again got heated. ADAPTers and police met in the middle of Main Street and started chanting. Though the police had already stopped traffic for the VP's arrival, Cheney was in the building and the police wanted to get traffic moving again. Officers redirected protesters, routing wheelchairs back to the yellow line, in the middle of the street. ADAPTers after being moved, wandered back toward the convention center, again upsetting the officer's plans. Outnumbered and beginning to get frustrated, the officers began to threaten arrest if ADAPT did not move back and go up onto the sidewalk.

Eventually, the group agreed to go onto the sidewalk. With no curbcut immediately available, we lifted powerchairs up onto the sidewalk. The officers brought barricades to make sure all the wheelchairs and walkers stayed up on the sidewalk. Several officers were assigned to 'watch' us, to make sure we did not attempt to cross the street and enter the Convention Center.

Q: What does ADAPT do when we are going to be somewhere for awhile? A: Chant!

Anita 'O'Brien and Susan Norwood led the group in a variety of chants including: What do we want? MiCASSA! When do we want it? Now! Our homes, not nursing homes! Free our brothers, free our sisters, free our people now!

Liz Andrzejewicz was busy capturing the events on camera. To her surprise, the role of photographer seems to carry the greatest risk of physical harm I a protest?! While trying to take photos of the ADAPTers, Liz was grabbed and again pushed back toward the sidewalk by an officer. When she moved toward the sidewalk, Liz was 'bumped' in the back of the head by person or parties unknown. Liz also literally "took it on the nose" for ADAPT, getting 'bumped' in the face with her camera when a hostile employee of the Rochester Convention and Visitor's Bureau crumpled the ADAPT leaflet and shoved it at her. Liz handled it all with grace and importantly she has his picture!

Settled into a tight group on the sidewalk, we continued chanting. RPD brought in the mounted patrol, forming a line in front of the Convention Center. Several Cheney reception attendees and Convention Center staff peered out the windows at the demonstrators. Rochester ADAPT was situated in the front of the crowd. Users of power chairs/scooters- Fred Dievendorf, Charlie Smith, Anthony Griggs, Cindy Thrush, Cindy Hancock, and Richard Miller, were on the frontline, facing the Convention Center. Meanwhile in the rear of the crowd, Amerine Douse, Pat and Pam Taggert passed out flyers about the need for Randy Kuhl to sign onto MiCASSA. Social activists Sister Rita, Sister Grace and Daniel Gantt, from the House of Mercy, joined us chanting their support for MiCASSA!

As the protests continued in the non-violent manner, the police became friendlier, asking questions about MiCASSA and nodding their heads in support of our cause! Officers were seen tapping their toes in time with our chants and clapping when cars passing by honked their support for our efforts.

After about an hour, the anti-war groups in Washington Square Park marched down Main Street, and joined us across from the Convention Center. This group was composed of Metro Justice members, college students, gay activists, and anti war activists. Cars driving by honked their horn, in support of our demonstration. At the end of the fundraiser and picture event with Dick Cheney, a special bus was brought in for the Republican fundraiser guests, so they could scurry to safety, fearful that people across the street, behind barricades might 'get' them!! While leaving the event, Kuhl staffers and others leaving received a rousing round of "Boo's!!" from the anti-war protesters.

Never content to have just one front to our action, as the war protestors did their chanting Marlene Waldron, Bruce Darling, Liz Andrzejewicz and Mike Volkmer had 'disappeared'. This group had gone to the parking garage with MiCASSA leaflets, placing them under the wipers of everyone attending the fundraiser! While Marlene distracted the guards at the Convention Center entrance, Mike and Bruce went in to have a look.

The Convention Center was mostly empty as Vice President Cheney and fundraiser guests were gone. However, a group conversation was in progress in one of the meeting rooms. Being curious and with ADAPT Karma shining brightly - Mike and Bruce walked in to see Randy Kuhl doing a press conference.

Always ready with a question and never shy to ask it, Bruce cut off a reporter to ask why Kuhl did not support MiCASSA? With TV cameras rolling, Congressman Kuhl replied that this was a staffer oversight and he would be interested in getting more information and MiCASSA sounds like something he would like to support. We've heard it before, so we'll be following up immediately.

ADAPTers gathered to hear the news of our conversation with Congressman Kuhl and discuss next steps. As our paratransit rides began to arrive, we asked ourselves...

Question: How do you spell power? Answer: A-D-A-P-T!

Media clips covering the protest:

http://www.wroctv.com/news/story.asp?id=24625&r=l 
http://www.10nbc.com/index.asp?template=item&story_id=20239  
http://www.10nbc.com/index.asp?template=item&story_id=20244 

Free our people!