BURNSVILLE, Minn. – Protesters went onto Jason Lewis’ private property, walking up his driveway to chant and leave posters at the front door of his house.
A group of about 15 protesters from a progressive advocacy group called TakeAction MN planted themselves on Lewis’ front steps with a goal of making their presence known to the neighborhood at large. They were there accusing Lewis of stripping away Medicaid, and claiming that “healthcare is a human right.”
“We are here to make sure the Congressman Lewis’ neighbors know exactly why we are here,” said a woman leading the demonstration. “So let me hear you cheer, let me hear you cheer so loud that the entire community here will hear us and know exactly why we are here.”
Lewis posted a clip of video taken by TakeAction MN, along with his statement regarding the matter, on Facebook.
“Appalled to find out my home and private property were invaded today by protesters while I was working in my congressional district,” Lewis wrote. “Suffice it to say it is more than a bit disturbing to get a call from your neighbor saying his daughters were afraid and called him to contact the police.”
According to Lewis, his district office has experienced similar demonstrations “in blatant violation of well-established security rules.” These demonstrations have caused his staff great concern, and interfered with their ability to work and serve constituents according to Lewis.
One of Lewis’ challengers, Rosemount high school teacher and football coach Jeff Erdmann, remains quite skeptical of all of these claims, and sent some mixed messages out regarding the incident.
“TakeAction MN had a peaceful protest outside of Jason Lewis’s residence. Jason’s campaign doctored TakeAction’s video and put that doctored video on his YouTube page, then posted about the incident on Facebook,” Erdmann’s campaign wrote in a press release according to Blois Olson’s Morning Take. “The Erdmann campaign would never condone people protesting on a person’s private residence.”
Erdmann also stated he will be inviting members of TakeAction MN into his home to discuss the importance of Medicaid, and his proposal to extend Medicare to all Americans.
Lewis took issue with the actions of Democrats running against him regarding this and other protests, and tied the increasingly divisive rhetoric back to the shooting of House Majority Whip Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA1).
“Instead of condemning such threatening behavior, declared candidates on the other side of the aisle have actually participated in these spectacles and encouraged this wanton disregard of civility,” Lewis wrote. “This isn’t just immature anymore; this is a dangerous ramping up of rhetoric that already has one of my House colleagues in rehab from a vicious attack.”
At the end of the video, protesters made promises to return, chanting “We’ll be back” repeatedly as they walked down Lewis’ driveway and off the property.
