(Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
May 07, 2020
National Nurses United held a vigil in front of President Donald Trump's White House on Thursday, a remembrance for 88 nurses--represented by solemn rows of empty whites shoes--who have died so far from the coronavirus as the pandemic continues to rage across the U.S. amid the president's continued mismanagement.
"Who will care for our patients when we get sick?" tweeted NNU executive director Bonnie Castillo.
\u201cDuring a heartbreaking White House protest on #NursesWeek, RNs left empty shoes to represent nurse lives lost to #COVID19.\ud83d\udc94 \n\nWho will care for our patients when we get sick? Take action at https://t.co/Zn9dUSploS\u201d— Bonnie Castillo (@Bonnie Castillo) 1588866741
The demonstrators used 88 empty pairs of shoes to represent the fallen nurses in what Castillo termed a "moving and powerful protest."
"It's a matter of life and death," she said.
\u201cNurses from National Nurses United protest for PPE in front of the White House with 88 pairs of shoes representing each nurse who has died from coronavirus.\u201d— NBC News (@NBC News) 1588860995
As Common Dreams has reported, pleas from healthcare workers for personal protective equipment (PPE) and aid have largely gone unanswered as the outbreak continues to spread around the nation.
In a press release issued Thursday, NNU demanded that Congress and the White House prioritize frontline workers in the next stage of coronavirus legislation.
"The next Covid-19 relief package is being discussed and finalized, and we are demanding that senators include critical protections to keep nurses safe in the bill," the group said.
Watch video of the demonstration:
\u201cHAPPENING NOW: Nurses are outside the White House decrying PPE shortages & reading the names of 88 nurses who have died from COVID-19. The RNs, from @NationalNurses, are also placing down a symbolic pair of shoes for each nurse who was lost. https://t.co/ewdEjL1qkW\u201d— NowThis (@NowThis) 1588859952
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
National Nurses United held a vigil in front of President Donald Trump's White House on Thursday, a remembrance for 88 nurses--represented by solemn rows of empty whites shoes--who have died so far from the coronavirus as the pandemic continues to rage across the U.S. amid the president's continued mismanagement.
"Who will care for our patients when we get sick?" tweeted NNU executive director Bonnie Castillo.
\u201cDuring a heartbreaking White House protest on #NursesWeek, RNs left empty shoes to represent nurse lives lost to #COVID19.\ud83d\udc94 \n\nWho will care for our patients when we get sick? Take action at https://t.co/Zn9dUSploS\u201d— Bonnie Castillo (@Bonnie Castillo) 1588866741
The demonstrators used 88 empty pairs of shoes to represent the fallen nurses in what Castillo termed a "moving and powerful protest."
"It's a matter of life and death," she said.
\u201cNurses from National Nurses United protest for PPE in front of the White House with 88 pairs of shoes representing each nurse who has died from coronavirus.\u201d— NBC News (@NBC News) 1588860995
As Common Dreams has reported, pleas from healthcare workers for personal protective equipment (PPE) and aid have largely gone unanswered as the outbreak continues to spread around the nation.
In a press release issued Thursday, NNU demanded that Congress and the White House prioritize frontline workers in the next stage of coronavirus legislation.
"The next Covid-19 relief package is being discussed and finalized, and we are demanding that senators include critical protections to keep nurses safe in the bill," the group said.
Watch video of the demonstration:
\u201cHAPPENING NOW: Nurses are outside the White House decrying PPE shortages & reading the names of 88 nurses who have died from COVID-19. The RNs, from @NationalNurses, are also placing down a symbolic pair of shoes for each nurse who was lost. https://t.co/ewdEjL1qkW\u201d— NowThis (@NowThis) 1588859952
National Nurses United held a vigil in front of President Donald Trump's White House on Thursday, a remembrance for 88 nurses--represented by solemn rows of empty whites shoes--who have died so far from the coronavirus as the pandemic continues to rage across the U.S. amid the president's continued mismanagement.
"Who will care for our patients when we get sick?" tweeted NNU executive director Bonnie Castillo.
\u201cDuring a heartbreaking White House protest on #NursesWeek, RNs left empty shoes to represent nurse lives lost to #COVID19.\ud83d\udc94 \n\nWho will care for our patients when we get sick? Take action at https://t.co/Zn9dUSploS\u201d— Bonnie Castillo (@Bonnie Castillo) 1588866741
The demonstrators used 88 empty pairs of shoes to represent the fallen nurses in what Castillo termed a "moving and powerful protest."
"It's a matter of life and death," she said.
\u201cNurses from National Nurses United protest for PPE in front of the White House with 88 pairs of shoes representing each nurse who has died from coronavirus.\u201d— NBC News (@NBC News) 1588860995
As Common Dreams has reported, pleas from healthcare workers for personal protective equipment (PPE) and aid have largely gone unanswered as the outbreak continues to spread around the nation.
In a press release issued Thursday, NNU demanded that Congress and the White House prioritize frontline workers in the next stage of coronavirus legislation.
"The next Covid-19 relief package is being discussed and finalized, and we are demanding that senators include critical protections to keep nurses safe in the bill," the group said.
Watch video of the demonstration:
\u201cHAPPENING NOW: Nurses are outside the White House decrying PPE shortages & reading the names of 88 nurses who have died from COVID-19. The RNs, from @NationalNurses, are also placing down a symbolic pair of shoes for each nurse who was lost. https://t.co/ewdEjL1qkW\u201d— NowThis (@NowThis) 1588859952
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.