Community members carry a banner calling to mourn the dead and fight for the living.
Donna Aceto
Activists, including members of ACT UP and other groups, held a vigil and die-in at the NYC AIDS Memorial on June 5 in observance of Long-Term HIV/AIDS Survivors Awareness Day and the 45th anniversary of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s first report on the epidemic.
The event was also part of a grassroots campaign known as Seven Days in June (June 1-7), which protests healthcare funding cuts. The June 5 event at the NYC AIDS Memorial featured Dr. Demetre Daskalakis of Callen-Lorde, Dr. Oni Blackstock, NYC AIDS Memorial board member Eric Sawyer, and actor/activist Javier Muñoz, among others.
See some photos below.
Community members participate in a die-in.Donna AcetoThe emotional candlelight vigil.Donna AcetoDr. Oni Blackstock.Donna AcetoDr. Demetre Daskalakis.Donna AcetoPeppermint.Donna AcetoJeremiah Johnson.Donna AcetoFormer State Senator Tom Duane and congressional candidate Nina Schwalbe.Donna AcetoDemetre Daskalakis, Eric Sawyer, Peppermint, and Javier Muñoz.Donna AcetoVinay Saldanha, representing UNAIDS.Donna AcetoOne of the organizers, Mark Hanay, participates in a “ACT UP, FIGHT BACK, FIGHT AIDS!” chant.Donna AcetoLongtime survivor Lee Raines.Donna AcetoJason Rosenberg, Sarah Dick (of Glasgow), and Robert Monteleone.Donna Aceto