Protesters block White House gate

Apr 27, 2009
USA Today, Apr 27, 2009

Spring has brought more tourists to the White House — and more protesters. The tourists are being kept away from most of Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the building because protesters in wheelchairs have chained themselves to the front of the White House gate.

The protesters wear bright yellow shirts with the logo of a group called ADAPT, which is protesting what it calls “the institutional bias in Medicaid that forces people with disabilities from their homes and families into expensive institutions and nursing homes.” The protest forces visitors to the Northwest Gate — the main entrance — to either cancel their appointments or wind their way around to the Southwest Gate.

Update at 1:31 p.m. ET: Online, the official ADAPT Twitter feed has updates from outside the White House. The updates show a strong swing in mood over the day. From about three hours ago: “adapt reps are inside white house to meet with administration on passing the cca!” The “cca” is the Community Choice Act. From one hour ago: “tell everyone u know that adapters are dominating the white house fence now, the meeting did not go well.”

From about half an hour ago: “45 of our brothers and sisters are chained to the white house fence FOR YOU.” Then the feed reports receiving two warnings from police. From a minute ago: “about 45 50 adapters are staying at the fence. they are about to be arrested.”