10 World AIDS Day Protesters Arrested Outside Gracie Mansion

Photograph by Tien Mao/Gothamist

Today is World AIDS Day, and while there are many events planned around the city, there is currently a 24-hour vigil at City Hall, with volunteers reading of the names of people who had been lost to HIV or AIDS at City Hall. And just now, during Mayor Bloomberg annual breakfast at Gracie Mansion in honor World AIDS Day, 10 Housing Works activists were arrested for protesting outside.

According to Housing Works, the protesters, who chanted, "People with AIDS under attack, what do we do? Act up, fight back!" were there "to expose the hypocrisy" of the breakfast. HW President and CEO Charles King said, "Another World AIDS Day breakfast, another year of Bloomberg failing to address the needs of people living with HIV and AIDS. We will not come here every December 1 and pretend that the Mayor cares about the well-being of New Yorkers living with HIV and AIDS until he proves it with his budget and his policies."

Housing Works cites issues like Bloomberg's "opposition to 30 percent rent cap legislation for poor HIV-positive New Yorkers in supportive housing... slashing funding for housing placement, case management, nutrition, and HIV prevention programs" and eliminating the Mayoral Office of AIDS Policy. Update: Housing Works says, "The protesters were charged with disorderly conduct and obstructing government affairs. They have not yet been released."

Photograph by Tien Mao/Gothamist

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on December 1, 2009 10:46 AM

Comments [rss]

NannyState

I hear Bloomberg had a wonderful breakfast and for all of the rest of you, Happy World AIDS Day!

ides_of_march

It's a virus. It doesn't give a crap about protests.

felixthecat2

Housing Work is a great Org, one that didn't sell out to Christine Quinn's lies and hypocrisy. good for them.

CR

I'm all for funding research and prevention, along with ending the stigma. What I don't understand is why does the city need to pay to house them?

I'm also tired of the idea of protesting with the intent of getting arrested to cause a spectacle. Your cause becomes meaningless when everyone does it.

felixthecat2

what makes you think they wanted to be arrested? First amendment is a right not a privilege.

theevilone

+1

JenChungsBaby

Didn't these people hear that 2009 was a great year in the fight against AIDS:

http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/12/01/a-good-year-in-the-fight-against-aids.html

tom9d

Oh, absolutely. The economy is in the shitter and the Bloomberg is making budget cuts across the board, but he should make an exception for people with HIV and AIDS. They're way more important than education and public safety. And all the other people living with terminal illnesses that don't already get billions of dollars thrown at them every year.

bts220

for over 20 years people are being educated to protect yourself use condoms practice safe sex stop sharing needles but people are so ignorant or dont want to believe it can happen to them this disease keeps going strong it is very preventable. Then again what do i know keep sleeping around shooting heroin then look for the city and tax payers to pay for your medicine and housing and everything else you need to survive Govt handouts have to stop enough is enough

felixthecat2

We had 8 years of abstinence education.

faprilano

yet another informed and educated (read ignorant) response.

hotstepper

so AIDS and HIV are not spread by sex and needles? so having AIDS, rather than say cancer, entitles you to even more gov't assistance?

just trying to be informed and educated from the very source of enlightenment.