Hundreds protest outside Purdue Stamford HQ
August 18, 2018Stamford Advocate | By Paul Schott |
A protest Friday morning by several hundred activists outside the downtown Stamford headquarters of Purdue Pharma highlighted the growing grassroots campaign seeking accountability from the OxyContin maker, which already faces hundreds of lawsuits for allegedly fueling the national opioid crisis.
In perhaps the largest-ever demonstration outside the company’s offices at 201 Tresser Blvd., about 500 people, including many parents of children who died of opioid overdoses and advocates in recovery from opioid addiction, gathered for around two hours of speeches, marching and chanting. Ryan Hampton, 38, a Los Angeles-based activist and author who battled addiction to opioids including OxyContin for 10 years, and Cheryl Juaire, 59, a Marlborough, Mass.-based advocate whose 23-year-old son died of a heroin overdose in 2011, led the event, which drew attendees from across the country. Read more