Eight Arrested at Obama AIDS Protest

Eight activists were arrested Thursday in a large protest against flat funding for global AIDS during a visit by President Barack Obama to New York City.

According to Housing Works, "In addition to those arrested, 500 protesters from around the world chanted and marched holding signs reading 'No More AIDS Lies! Treat People Now!' and carrying body bags."

The activists protested outside the St. Regis Hotel in Midtown Manhattan, where inside President Obama addressed the crowd at a fundraiser for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

The demonstration included speeches from the longtime AIDS activists Larry Kramer and Zackie Achmat of the Treatment Action Campaign of South Africa.

Kramer delivered remarks that he circulated to media, activists and community leaders in an e-mail late Thursday.

"Obama is not my president," he said. "Obama is not your president. Obama does not like AIDS. Obama does not like gays. Now what are we going to do about it? Because we continue to sit on the sidelines while our world is denied us, yes, our world, which is as much our world as anyone else's, is denied us. Our rights are denied us. Our love is denied us. We are even denied the right to fight for our country. How long must we be denied all of this before we truly rise up in united anger?"

Watch the video of Achmat's speech.[youtube https://www.youtube.com/v/futmdmjE2ew&hl=en_US&fs=1& expand=1 site_id=25879312]