Chicago, IL – In the first large demonstration of the NATO summit, 4000 nurses gathered in Daley Plaza at noon on May 18. National Nurses Union members and supporters demanded an end to the bailing out of Wall Street and for a tax on its profits.

Karen Higgins, co-president of National Nurses United said, “As nurses, we are caretakers and we step forward and help the nation recover from this economic crisis.” She also said, “We are watching patients suffer because they can't care for their families and their health at the same time. As nurses this inequality is our problem. We know the solution. It's time for Wall Street to pay what they owe.”

#ChicagoIL #Healthcare #NationalNursesUnited #ChicagoNATOSummit

Chicago, IL – Registered nurses from across the U.S. today condemned Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel for his decision to arrest nurse volunteers, as well as peaceful protesters, in a late night crackdown, Oct. 22 at the Occupy Chicago protest.

National Nurses United is asking supporters to call Mayor Emmanuel’s office at 312-744-5000 and demand they immediately drop all charges against the nurses and other protesters and stop the harassment and arrests of the nurses and others peacefully exercising their free speech rights. Nurses will also picket the mayor’s office at 10 a.m. on Oct. 24 at City Hall at the LaSalle entrance.

Nurse leaders of National Nurses United who set up a nurses’ station to provide basic first aid to Chicago protesters – as NNU as done in five other cities across the U.S. – were among the some 130 people arrested by Chicago police. The police also tore down the first aid station and arrested scores of others who had peacefully assembled to support the station.

“Even in wartime, combatants respect the work of nurses and other first responders. Yet Mayor Emmanuel and Chicago seem to care as little about that tradition as they do in protecting the constitutional rights of free speech and assembly.” said NNU Executive Director RoseAnn DeMoro. “These arrests are disgraceful and unconscionable and will not deter our nurses from continuing this mission, setting up the station again, and continuing to support the protests.”

Emmanuel has been perhaps the most aggressive mayor in the nation in repression of the occupy Wall Street movement, with mass arrests on at least two occasions now. The Chicago Tribune reported on Oct. 22 that city officials are trying to send a message to world leaders of being ‘tough’ on demonstrators in advance of upcoming meetings of G-8 and NATO leaders in May 2012.

#ChicagoIL #Labor #OccupyWallStreet #OccupyChicago #NationalNursesUnited #MayorRahmEmmanuel

Chicago, IL – More than 4000 marched here tonight as Occupy Chicago moved from its occupation of La Salle Street (the banking center of the city) to Congress Plaza on the edge of Grant Park. Organizers intend this as a permanent home for the occupation.

Occupy Chicago was joined tonight by a contingent from Teamsters Local 705, as well as representatives who brought resolutions from the National Nurses United and the Chicago Teachers Union. SEIU Local 73 members were there and the local had helped get tents for the occupation.

The police have threatened to clear the park at 11:00 pm.

*Read more [Fight Back! coverage of Occupy Wall street](http://www.fightbacknews.org/news/special-coverage/occupy-wall-street) and follow [@fightbacknews](https://twitter.com/#!/fightbacknews) for live updates from #OccupyWallStreet protests around the country.*

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