Day of the Dead Vigil and Rally for Medicare for All in San Francisco

In mourning the tens of thousands of lives lost, we demand Speaker Pelosi take actions to support the passage of Medicare for All into law!

On Saturday, October 30, 2021, we will be mourning the unnecessary deaths of 68,000 Americans annually due to lack of healthcare and also the estimated 285,000+ deaths for the same reason since the beginning of the pandemic.

We will gather at Alta Plaza Park in the Presidio neighborhood of San Francisco at 12 noon. Protesters will be asked to "dress as if you were attending a funeral." We will carry a life-size coffin with the number "68,000" painted in red in the style of a funeral procession to Speaker Nancy Pelosi's residence.

In front of Speaker Nancy Pelosi's residence, which is arguably the most haunted place in SF, for her refusal and neglect to take action in the face of so many deaths in the United States of America, we will have a speaker lineup of local activists, representing medical professional, communities of color, immigrants, LGBTQ+ communities and leaders in SF neighborhoods which have been most affected by COVID-19 deaths.

Confirmed Speakers

Ana Malinow (SF physician, lifelong organizer for Medicare for All, former president of Physicians for a National Health Program)

Cynthia Papermaster (SF activist, CodePink Golden Gate/Extinction Rebellion)

Eric Curry (SF activist, currently running for congress in CA-12)

Dr. Joe Jarvis (Author of "The Purple World, Healing the Harm in American Healthcare" https://josephqjarvis.com/)

Kristina Lee (Reproductive Justice Activist and Writer, Freedom Socialist Party and Radical Women)

Laura Fielding (Executive Director, Red Berets Medicare for All & Board Member of Whole Washington)

Patrick Cote (a.k.a. Pat the Berner, Host of Punch Up Pod)

Scott Desnoyers (Healthcare justice activist, https://heal-ca.org/grieving-dad-wont-stop-fighting-for-medicare-for-all/)

Shahid Buttar (SF activist, congressional candidate in CA-12)

This event is co-sponsored by:

CodePink Golden Gate/Extinction Rebellion, Freedom Socialist Party/Radical Women, Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) and Santa Clara County Single Payer Health Care Coalition.

(More to be announced...)

We demand Speaker Nancy Pelosi:

1. Co-sponsor H.R. 1976 immediately

2. Support to bring the bill onto the floor of the seven committees of jurisdiction for hearing (No More Sabotage!)

3. Proactively build support for H.R.1976 among her democratic colleagues

4. Proactively work to build support for H.R 1976 among her republican friends

5. Hold hearings on CMMI and DCEs, which are handing traditional Medicare to Wall Street

6. Take a public pledge not to accept money from health-related industry

Please bring a photo of your loved ones who have been deceased. Please bring a copy of your medical bills, so Speaker Pelosi may visualize the amount of your pain and suffering. We will recite the names of the deceased.

This is a peaceful protest. We strongly recommend protesters wear a mask during the protest, though we ask you to refrain from wearing monster masks that cover your entire face.