SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) – A healthcare conference in San Francisco this week sparked protests Monday afternoon at Union Square. Many are saying this conference is an opportunity for the rich to get richer off the backs of patients. People yelled demands at healthcare conference attendees, saying they are fed up with the current system. Protesters called for a public takeover of the healthcare industry, eliminating the profiteers with Medicare for all.  Dozens held up signs calling on companies to put people before profits. Santa Clara County to buy Regional Medical Center "These are mega-millionaires who are making billions of profits off the backs of patients, and they should not be allowed to do that,” said protester Suzanne Cowan.  Steve Zeltzer helped organize the protest. He says the healthcare system is failing Americans.  "Why should people be denied healthcare in the richest country in the world? At the same time we are spending trillions of dollars for wars abroad in Israel and Ukraine and yet we don't have money? I mean, Israel has national healthcare. There is something really wrong here,” he said.  The 43rd annual healthcare conference by JP Morgan with United Healthcare is at the St. Francis Hotel.  It comes as Luigi Mangione is in jail awaiting trial for the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson last month. Several protesters held up signs in support of Mangione. "I don't really condone his actions, but I do condone the fact that whatever he did raised awareness of this, right? The whole world is talking about this industry that should not exist. Before this everyone was quiet, saying ‘Oh, I don't want my claim to be denied’ or whatever,” said protester Peter Lee.  A few protesters yelled at attendees exiting the conference. As tensions became high, police officers lined up in front of the hotel. "They have the right to protest, but it's like when you see a pro-Luigi sign, that's really bad taste. I'm kind of surprised the police are allowing it because it's technically threatening,” said one conference attendee.  Some protesters said they plan to return to the conference Tuesday as First Lady Jill Biden is expected to give a keynote address. KRON4 reached out to JP Morgan, who declined to comment on the protest.