Democratic Rep. Ayanna Pressley has condemned Walgreens for “racial and economic discrimination” after closing a pharmacy in Boston.
Pressley, a member of the ultra-progressive “Squad,” said the chain was “letting down” low-income communities with the latest closure in Roxbury on Wednesday.
Walgreens announced the closure of several stores across the country due to what the company has described as “rampant theft” in some areas.
Pressley said this decision targets areas with significant minority populations, and called on the company to reconsider their decision instead.
Speaking before the House, she said, “This closure is part of a larger trend of the abandonment of low-income communities, such as the previous closures in Mattapan and Hyde Park, both in the 7th Massachusetts.
The representative said the chain was “letting down” low-income communities, with the most recent closure in Roxbury on Wednesday
The representative said the chain was “letting down” low-income communities, with the most recent closure in Roxbury on Wednesday
“When a Walgreens leaves a neighborhood, they disrupt the entire community, taking with them baby formula, diapers, asthma inhalers, life-saving medications and, of course, jobs.
“These closures are not arbitrary and not innocent. They are life-threatening acts of racial and economic discrimination. That’s why I’ve joined Senators Markey and Warren in demanding answers from the CEO of Walgreens.
“Why was there no community input? No adequate notice to customers? And no transition resources to prevent gaps in healthcare? Shame on you, Walgreens.
“Having a website with talking points about healthcare equity and underserved communities is not enough.
“Walgreens is a multi-billion dollar company that needs to put its money where its mouth is and stop alienating Black and brown communities.”
Walgreens, one of the chains hardest hit by shoplifting, announced last year its intention to close about 200 stores nationwide.
The Walgreens Pressley was talking about was the fourth store in Boston to close in just over a year, according to the newspaper. Boston25 News.
To ease the transition, Walgreens said they would automatically transfer patient records and prescriptions to a Walgreens a mile away.
The decision to close the store was widely protested by locals, who now have to travel another kilometer
The Walgreens that closed Wednesday was the fourth in Boston to close in just over a year
The company said changing factors, including local market dynamics and a change in purchasing behavior, are factors taken into account when closing a branch.
Opponents of the closure tried for weeks to convince the company to reconsider its decision, but were unsuccessful. The location was closed on Wednesday.
The pharmacy chain has had to close stores across the country, with a specific focus on the city of San Francisco, because it struggles with high crime.
Last July, images emerged of a Walgreens having to resort to connecting freezers to deter shoplifters.
Video taken by a potential customer at a local Walgreens in the city shows aisle after aisle of products locked behind perspex and glass, out of the reach of thieves.
At one location, the freezer doors are completely chained, and concerned staff enter the store at night to empty the contents.
The problem of such wanton theft is not unique to San Francisco; Other major cities across the country, including New York, have also faced the problem in recent years.
In some cases, pharmacy chains have no choice but to leave the areas completely as the massive thefts hurt the bottom line.
Shoplifting has gotten so bad in San Francisco that some stores now padlock their freezers and attach metal chains to ensure the doors stay closed at night
Pressley and other team members such as Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib formed the so-called progressive “squad” of lawmakers when she took office after the 2018 midterm elections.
They are often targeted by Republicans who claim they are trying to stoke racial division by highlighting the differences between white people and minority communities.
In August last year, Pressley made headlines after Vivek Ramaswamy accused her and an anti-racist author of being part of the “modern KKK.”
Pressley hit back at the former Republican candidate, saying he had been “verbally attacked” for his comments.