For Immediate Release
October 18, 2011

As NNU Sets Up More Medical Aid Tents for Protests; Los Angeles Tent Today, SF, Washington Later This Week

New York - Legendary civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson joined with nurses from National Nurses United and Occupy Wall Street volunteer medics Monday night to defend, for the second time in four days, the city's only medical aid station for the Occupy Wall Street protesters.

NNU, the nation's largest organization of nurses, launched the medical assistance program last week with a tent in New York's Zuccotti Park, home base of the Occupy Wall Street actions, and is expanding its first aid program with tents going up today in Los Angeles, and later this week in Washington and San Francisco.

In New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and city officials have made several attempts to shut down the humanitarian program with threats to dismantle the tent Friday and then again last night. On Monday night, more than 100 supporters, including Rev. Jackson, locked arms to support the tent prompting the police to withdraw the latest threat.

Since the tent has opened, it has been regularly staffed with NNU nurses who have provided an array of basic first aid services to protesters. "This is a vital service that we are proud to be able to provide, and we will continue to support our right to assist the courageous protesters with needed medical care," said NNU's Jill Furillo, RN.



Rev. Jackson with NNU's Maria Fehlig, RN

The first aid program, a response to calls for help from participants in the occupy actions, is being coordinated in conjunction with Registered Nurses Response Network (RNRN), the first direct-care RN rapid response network, and a project of NNU.

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