Five attendees at the American Diabetes Association’s annual conference were removed by police after reportedly circulating a paper criticizing President Donald Trump for dismantling biomedical research.
According to BMJ, five doctors were peacefully escorted out and were not arrested.
Aaron Kelly, a doctor with the Center for Pediatric Obesity Medicine at the University of Minnesota, told the Star Tribune that he “was chest-bumped by a police officer several times.”
“People are scared,” Kelly said. “They’re nervous to do anything or say anything. They think their grants will be taken away or there will be retaliation against the university.”
The ADA told BMJ that the doctors violated the conference’s code of conduct. The paper was published in April in the association’s journal.
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“Given the proposed budget cuts and the reduction in opportunities for scientists with appropriate expertise to continue their work and drive new science, we as clinicians, scientists, and U.S. citizens call on members of all communities in our country to make their thoughts known,” the paper said. “While we have focused this editorial on diabetes, the threat is not limited to this disease. The proposed changes could affect progress for every disease and every American.”
The incident over the weekend drew criticism from a Democratic member of Congress.
“Censorship and intimidation have no place in science. Discovery, innovation, and the millions of patients who are waiting for cures demand curiosity-driven science, free from political interference,” said Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo.
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