Protesters Staging 'Die-In' Removed From Sen. Gardner's Office
DENVER (CBS4)- Protesters who had been staging a "die-in" at Sen. Cory Gardner's office for the past three days were removed from the property on Thursday.
The gathering took place both inside and outside of Sen. Cory Gardner's office starting on Tuesday morning. The protesters wanted to show their opposition to the Republican health care bill.
They're concerned about the Republican health care plan, specifically Medicaid and proposed cuts to federal funding for those programs.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell decided Tuesday to call off a planned vote this week on a proposal to repeal and replace former President Barack Obama's health care law.
Denver police officers started removing the protesters on Thursday evening after they declined to leave at the officers' request.
Gardner's office released this statement: "The top priority throughout this protest has been allowing these individuals to exercise their First Amendment rights in a safe environment. In order to allow this, staff have slept in the office for two nights and assisted and aided these individuals with several matters to ensure they were comfortable and safe. Earlier this evening, Denver police asked the individuals to leave. When they declined to leave the police were forced to remove them due to several factors, including serious concerns for their health and safety."