Capitol police tear up citations issued to disabled activists on three-day vigil

HARRISBURG - Disabled activists, many in wheelchairs, were cited for camping outside the Capitol and threatened with arrest before cooler heads prevailed.

The drama began around 9 p.m. Monday when Capitol Police ordered members of American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today to disperse from their perch near a fountain.

They told police they planned a three-day vigil to protest proposed cuts in Gov. Corbett's budget for home-care services to the disabled - and that they weren't leaving. Nine people were ticketed for "camping" and "sleeping" on Capitol grounds.

"They told us that we could go to jail if we didn't leave," said Cassie James Holdsworth, a spokeswoman for the group.

But late Tuesday, Capitol Police agreed to tear up the citations. Troy Thompson, spokesman for the Department of General Services, which oversees the police, said it was simply a matter of getting the group to fill out the right paperwork.

"It was a safety issue - we need to know how many people are going to be out and when, so we can have the appropriate police presence," he said. "That way we can ensure they are protected while exercising their rights."

Filomena R. Ward of Northeast Philadelphia, for one, was ready to go to jail. Ward, 53, has muscular dystrophy, uses a wheelchair, and needs an aide's help to get in and out of bed, eat, shower, and dress. She said, "I don't know what I would do if I lose that help."

The vigil resumed Tuesday night.