Activists “Die-In” to Save Lives in Puerto Rico

Activists, people living with HIV and employees of the New York-based AIDS service organization Housing Works convened earlier today, November 14, in Foley Square in downtown Manhattan to call for immediate federal control of Puerto Rico’s AIDS funding. Other attending organizations included CitiWide Harm Reduction, Unidos Danole Cara al Sida (UDCAS) NY and the Washington Heights CORNER Project.

The group held a press conference—which included speeches by Housing Works employees Tamara Oyola-Santiago and Marcelo Vanegas, among others—followed immediately by a march to the intersection of Broadway and Worth street, where a dozen protesters chanted “Puerto Rico AIDS Crisis: Save Lives Now!” before police intervened 20 minutes later. Protesters lay down in the middle of the street in a “die in,” requiring two dozen police officers to remove and arrest them. The group was released from custody roughly two hours later.”*

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