ACT UP joined the Occupy movement to protest changes to New York City’s AIDS housing policies and to demand a tax to end AIDS. Nine activists were arrested early in the morning after chaining themselves together to block Wall Street and 10 HIV housing activists were arrested outside City Hall trying to set up a house, Gay City News reports. In February 2011, the Human Resources Administration announced it would no longer help pay the full brokers’ fees for HIV/AIDS Service Administration (HASA) clients looking for housing and would only issue vouchers (not checks) to pay landlords. And in December, the HRA announced HASA could refuse permanent housing to people who did not pass drug tests and who refused prescribed treatment. Activists are also marching to advocate for a “financial speculation tax,” or FiST, that would involve taxing speculative trading on Wall Street and using those funds for HIV services. The demonstration is part of the 25th anniversary commemoration of AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power (ACT UP).

To read more about ACT UP, click here.

To read the Gay City News article, click here.