Squad Rep.Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) was on the Hill this week claiming a recent Walgreens closure in her state of Massachusetts is racist, despite it being part of a planned downsizing move in the wake of spikes in crime and theft in the area.
“Mr. Speaker, Walgreens is planning to close yet another pharmacy in the Massachusetts Seventh — this time on Warren Street in Roxbury, a community that is 85 percent black and Latino,” she began, explaining that this closure is “part of a larger trend of abandoning low-income communities,” citing previous closures in her district.
“When a Walgreens leaves a neighborhood, they disrupt the entire community, and they take with them baby formula, diapers, asthma inhalers, life-saving medications, and, of course, jobs,” she continued, explaining her belief that these closures are “not arbitrary, and they are not innocent.”
“They are life-threatening acts of racial and economic discrimination. That is why I joined with Sen. Markey and Warren to demand answers from Walgreens’ CEO,” she continued, asking why there was no community input on the matter.
“No adequate notice to customers and no transition resources to prevent gaps in health care? Shame on you, Walgreens. Having a website with talking points about health equity and underserved communities is not enough,” Pressley continued.
“Walgreens is a multibillion-dollar corporation that needs to put their money where their mouth is,” she continued.
“It’s called ‘natural consequences.’ If you steal or loot too much, stores close. Ayanna Pressley’s sense of entitlement is breathtaking,” one X user remarked.
“Maybe if the local resident didn’t loot and steal, the store wouldn’t close,” another said. “It’s called cause and effect.”
According to WBUR, Walgreens “will automatically transfer Warren Street customers’ prescriptions to the nearest store at 1890 Columbus Ave.”
Watch the clip below:
Rep. Ayanna Pressley accuses Walgreens of racial discrimination for closing stores in neighborhoods overrun by theft pic.twitter.com/GClRbuY4nI
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) January 31, 2024