On Thursday, the day that Republican senators released their version of the American Health Care Act (Trumpcare) which was designed to repeal and replace Obamacare, physically disabled protesters staged what they called a “die-in” in front of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s office. They were there to protest a number of aspects of the bill that would negatively impact them and would deprive them of healthcare.

The bill is controversial for a number of reasons. For example, if the Senate version of the bill is passed, the elderly will be charged far higher premiums than younger consumers. Additionally, states will face overall cuts in Medicaid, which helps countless Americans (including the disabled) pay for health care who otherwise couldn’t afford it. It would also allow states to waive essential health benefit requirements, so insurance companies would no longer have to cover hospital visits for example -and this is just to name a few.

Although all of these provisions could make it significantly harder for the disabled to receive proper healthcare, this “die-in” was staged to protest the cuts to Medicaid in particular. These proposed cuts would make it very difficult for low-income disabled citizens to be able to afford the healthcare they need.

A “die-in” is traditionally when protestors lay down and act like they are dead in order to show how horrible whatever they are protesting is. In this case, some protestors removed themselves from their wheelchairs and lay in front of Mitch McConnell’s office to make their point, effectively blocking the hallway. However, some remained in their wheelchairs. Many protesters reportedly chanted, “No cuts to Medicaid, save our liberty!”

One would expect that these protests would have a positive result because the right to protest is one of the most important freedoms listed in the first Amendment of our Constitution.

However, the Capital Police forcibly removed and arrested 43 people for “crowding and obstructing”. Some of these disabled people were actually dragged out of their wheelchairs and pulled out of the building, and a lot of these arrests happened on camera for the world to see. There was also blood on the ground and paramedics had to show up to assist the disabled people. This sad visual of disabled people being literally dragged out of their wheelchairs is in some ways a perfect metaphor for what Trumpcare could do to them.

The day started with something that could make us all proud to be Americans, people using the right to peacefully protest to try and change legislation that they do not think is not in the public’s best interest. But the protest ended in humiliation and bloodshed. America, we can do better.