Join us IN protest at #MillionsMissing 2022!
#MillionsMissing SEPTEMBER 2022 is here! Below is information on the DC event (which can be amplified around the world online). If you are looking for UK-specific events, click the links above.
#MEAction will host #MillionsMissing 2022 this Monday, September 19th outside the White House in Washington D.C. to demand bold, urgent governmental action for the millions of people living with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), Long COVID, and other infection-associated, complex chronic diseases.
The pandemic means the wider public now knows what our communities have known for decades—that government, healthcare, and society at large have systematically deprioritized or erased people with disabling complex chronic diseases. This historical pattern meant that people with Long COVID now have little access to medical care, no FDA-approved treatments, and poor societal support. The number of people getting sick and not recovering after COVID-19 infection constitutes a growing public health crisis, with huge consequences for all.
Yet even in the face of this collective devastation, the government is not stepping up. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) continually downplay the public health crisis and dismiss the suffering of millions of Americans. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is not responding urgently. Congress has not prioritized legislation that could improve the lives of people with Long COVID, ME, and associated diseases.
We ask President Biden to take bold action where our institutions have failed us.
Join us on Monday, September 19th, 2022.
Email or tweet President Biden now!
Our Demands
Our demands
Millions of people are still sick and still fighting.
People are out of work. People have lost their jobs.
People have lost their health and their lives.
This is a national emergency.
Join us in protest
Join Us in Protest
We will gather in-person at 12:00pm ET on the sidewalk in front of the White House, rain or shine.
This event will include non-violent civil disobedience but you are welcome and encouraged to participate if you want to protest without civil disobedience.
Want to know more? See our virtual training:
Join the Millions Missing IN-PERSON protest!
You will be responsible for your travel and accommodation to attend the protest.
#MEAction has secured a block of rooms at the COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT WASHINGTON, D.C/US CAPITOL. Use the code MEAction to be a part of the #MEAction room block. You must call the hotel @ 202-898-4000 to receive the discount for your room(s).
** The COVID-19 pandemic is not over. There is significant risk to attending in person. We will have community rules, mask requirements, and do everything we can to minimize risk. Our online component will also be impactful and measurable.
GOALS OF THE IN-pERSON PROTEST
- To elevate our narrative through media attention and social media
- To get the attention of the White House and governmental institutions
Protest at home
Protest at home
On Monday, September 19, we urge you to join us from your homes and beds. We are emailing and tweeting President Biden to ask him to declare ME/CFS and Long COVID a national emergency. Join us.
You can choose to do some or all of the actions we suggest, which are categorized by degree of effort in our at-home activism guide below.
You can also access video training on how to use our at-home activism guide.
Goals For Activism From Home Protest
1. Share and amplify the in-person protest activities
2. Use frameworks to help circulate key information:
• Protest narrative (i.e., overall problem & why it matters)
• Target and demands
• Context for press (to help people understand the demands)
3. Target President Biden and the press
Frequently Asked Questions
Why protest in front of the White House?
- The White House represents the whole of government and we need a robust government response now.
Will there be local events?
- Not for September. There will be an event in the US and a few in the UK & Scotland and if you are in one of those countries and cannot attend the in-person events, taking the online and offline actions from home will be the most beneficial to the protests. We need massive amplification and we need all of the help we can get.
Will you be providing toolkits for other countries?
- Not for September. Unlike #MillionsMissing in May, we are putting all of our effort into two country events. However, if you typically run a #MillionsMissing in your own country and want to do a protest in September, we think that is amazing. We will share your successes on social media but do not have the capacity to help plan or discuss other country-specific plans. The At Home Activism guide will be applicable to anyone around the world who wants to support and amplify this event.
I am too sick to do much. How can I help?
- Email or tweet President Biden using our easy to use forms. You can use our pre-written templates or customize them. We have developed a At Home Activism guide to help lay out the various ways to get involved and will plan on items for individuals with varying energy levels. As always, we do not want you to push if you are too sick. We get it. We support you. We love you.
Can I donate to help?
- Please! You can donate here to help fuel #MEAction’s #MillionsMissing work and advocacy, activism, and education projects to come.
Is there a hotel block for those of us traveling to DC?
- Yes, #MEAction has secured a block of rooms at the COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT WASHINGTON, D.C/US CAPITOL. Use the code MEAction to be a part of the #MEAction room block. You must call the hotel @ 202-898-4000 to receive the discount for your room(s).
