Protesters in Pennsylvania Center City Object to HIV Funding Cuts

About 200 protesters gathered on Wednesday in Philadelphia to demand that Gov. Edward Rendell restore $2 million in HIV education funding.

The activists jammed the sidewalk in front of Center City's Park Hyatt at the Bellevue for an hour chanting, "Act up, fight back, give us our money back." According to ACT UP spokesperson Kate Kozeniewski, the state cut Philadelphia's HIV prevention funds by $1.7 million during the last fiscal year, and the proposed FY 2011 budget likely will cut an additional $2 million. Rendell maintains an office in the hotel but, according to a spokesperson, was in Washington at the time of the demonstration.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.


Together We Remain Strong!