Of the 23 arrested, 12 were expected to be charged and 11 were released without charges, Chicago Police.
The outpatient clinic is one of six Mayor Rahm Emanuel has proposed closing, along with clinics in the Palmer Square, Rogers Park, Auburn Gresham, Back of the Yards and Morgan Park neighborhoods.
Dozens of people, including the facility's patients, locked themselves inside the building by chaining doors shut and erecting barricades about 4 p.m. Thursday. Police cut through chains and started arresting people about 1 a.m
Sophia Kortchmar, a supporter of the group, said 200 protesters were outside the building at the height of the protest. A WGN-TV photographer at the scene said about 75 people remained around 10 p.m., and the number dwindled into the night.
The group has a press conference scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday outside the clinic.
Dr. Bechara Choucair, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Heath, tried to meet with the group Thursday night but they refused, his office said in a statement. He defended the city’s decision to close the clinics.
“All who depend on the city for services will continue to have access to quality care and, with these reforms, the city is expanding access to mental health services and increasing support for the uninsured,” his statement said.
“These reforms have already allowed the city to invest $500,000 so that 1,000 more people can access psychiatric care, client transitions to new centers have gone smoothly over the past few months, and our focus continues to be expanding access to the quality care people deserve in their communities.”
It’s not the first time the city has tried to close the facility – former Mayor Richard Daley tried in 2009 citing a drop in state funding.
Copyright © 2012, WGN-TV
http://www.wgntv.com/news/wgntv-20120413,0,5729545.story
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