Squad Member Ayanna Pressley Accuses Walgreens of Racial Discrimination for Shutting Down Stores in Theft-Plagued Neighborhoods

You can’t make this up.

Squad member Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) has accused pharmacy giant Walgreens of racial discrimination for its decision to close stores in neighborhoods with high crime rates, including locations in her district, Massachusetts’ 7th Congressional District.

During a speech on the House floor, Rep. Pressley condemned the pharmacy giant for its decision to shut down a store on Warren Street in Roxbury, an area she noted is “85% Black and Latino.”

She cited this move as part of a worrying pattern of withdrawal from low-income communities. The radical congresswoman condemned the impact of such closures on residents who rely on the pharmacies for essential items, including medications and health supplies.

“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. These closures are not arbitrary, and they are not innocent. They are life-threatening acts of racial and economic discrimination,” she claimed.

Rep. Pressley, alongside Senators Elizabeth Warren (D) and Ed Markey (D), has called for a detailed explanation from the CEO of Walgreens.

“Why was there no community input, 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. Walgreens is a multi-billion dollar corporation that needs to put their money where their mouth is and stop divesting from black and brown communities.”

WATCH:

.@Walgreens‘ closure of their Warren St. location in Roxbury is a disruptive, life-threatening act of racial and economic discrimination.

As a multi-billion-dollar corporation, they should put their money where their mouth is and stop divesting from Black and brown communities. pic.twitter.com/FziF9ZbHvb

— Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (@RepPressley) January 31, 2024

In 2020, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) named Massachusetts as the most violent state in New England.

Goal.org wrote, “As adjusted for population, Massachusetts takes the New England violence honors with a rate of 308.8 per hundred thousand. This is nearly triple the violent crime rate of Maine (108) and more than double the rate in New Hampshire (146.4). It is noteworthy that the three least violent states in New England are Constitutional Carry states that actually encourage responsible citizens to exercise their Second Amendment civil rights.

The outlet added, “This is no surprise and certainly is in keeping of the Commonwealth as being one of the most violent states in Northeast America,” said Jim Wallace Executive Director of GOAL. “In 2018 we released the Massachusetts Gun Control Success – A False and Dangerous Narrative report that proved beyond any doubt that the laws and policies of the Commonwealth were an abject failure. Nobody listened and not one major media outlet would cover the story. So, the leadership of the State have no one to blame but themselves!””

American cities are going to become retail deserts eventually, and it’s all because of Democrat policies and weak leaders who won’t prosecute crime.

The CVS pharmacy chain has announced that it will close 900 stores by the end of 2024, citing shoplifting as a major issue.

This news comes at the same time that Target has announced the closure of nine stores for similar reasons.

One CVS drug store in Washington, D.C. has taken much of its stock off the shelves and is using the space to display photos of what customers used to be able to grab for themselves.

Conservative commentator Joey Mannarino posted to X photos he claimed were from a CVS store on H Street in Washington, D.C.

“This is from the CVS on H Street in Washington DC. Due to the out-of-control theft, they have now put away almost all their items and just have photographs of what is in stock. You press the button and the sales associate gets you what you need,” he posted.

Stores in San Francisco are now securing their freezers and bathrooms with chains to prevent shoplifting, with one store experiencing up to 20 robberies in a single day.

NEW: The Walgreens at 16th/Geary in San Francisco has chained up the freezer section ⛓️

Workers said normally shoplifters clean out all the pizza and ice cream every night. They’re usually hit 20x a day. The whole store is virtually locked up. @KPIXtv

h/t @greenbergnation pic.twitter.com/lfFWmkLWdo

— Betty Yu (@bett_yu) July 18, 2023

So, rather than prosecuting the criminals, the Democrats are now going into business owners.