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11 charged with trespassing at health care protest
Eleven health care activists were arrested and charged with trespassing at a protest in front of the Massachusetts branch of the health insurance company CIGNA in Newton yesterday.
For the second time in about three weeks, about 60 demonstrators went to the health insurance company's location on Washington Street at noon yesterday asking CIGNA executives to sign a pledge that the company would cease practices that "deny medical coverage to their customers,'' said a press release from the protesters.
In a phone interview shortly after being released from police custody, the 11 who were arrested for trespassing said they peacefully refused to leave when police responded and were not upset or surprised that they were arrested.
"It had gotten to the point where we felt we had no other choice and had to make a statement,'' said protester Russ Davis, executive director of workers' rights advocates Massachusetts Jobs with Justice.