A group of the Housing Works staff dressed in Robin Hood costumes to demand a Robin Hood Financial Transaction Tax and a Millionaires Tax to pay for housing, treatment and other critical services to people with HIV/AIDS.
East Village resident Andrew Coamey told us that activists — many of them chained together — blocked traffic on Broadway in front of City Hall Park for more than 30 minutes to make their point. In total, 10 were arrested, said Coamey, CFO and senior vice president for Housing, Housing Works.
Housing Works has operated the Keith D. Cylar Residence and Healthcare Center on 9th Street and Avenue D since 1996 and serves more than 150 local residents with HIV/AIDS at this location each day.
Find more Housing Works information here.
16 comments:
I want to form a group to protest all the protesting. Im a city resident who is always getting stuck in traffic because of these protests. Does anyone care that I lose money and this comes out of my check!!! I got stuck AGAIN by city hall and brooklyn bridge!! Because of these hippocrite OWS protests. And now the AIDS people are screwing me over. Ok.... You have a 1st ammentmant to speak etc. but NOT TO BLOCK THE DAMN ROADS. Selfish assclowns!!
Isn't Medicare doing away with coverage for the drug cocktail the people with HIV need as of Jan 2012???
Housing Works is one of the most radical organizations around.
Back in the day there were a number of organizations that confronted the AIDS crisis, but Housing Works was different because they didn't turn their backs on homeless people. Other groups involved in the AIDS crisis looked their noses down at them and Guiliani hated them and did everything he could to destroy them.
Homelessness in NYC is currently at an all-time high.
These people are my heroes.
What exactly were they arrested for? For blocking traffic?
Greg,
May you never be poor, or sick, or without healthcare. May you never be unhappy with the choices your government makes on your behalf. May your best interests always be in line with those of the corporations pouring money into our elections. If any of these things come to pass, may there be others out there willing to protest and fight for you.
Thank you to all the protesters!
Hey, there's Eddie Fukai! He's a good guy. He was my favorite staff member when I volunteered at the Book Shop.
For those who dismiss the importance of this, here's something to get you thinking how dire the intersection of poverty and HIV is: "Many poor H.I.V. patients delay treatment because once the disease progresses to AIDS, they are eligible for certain housing and nutritional benefits." (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/01/nyregion/to-stop-aids-nyc-wants-drugs-given-sooner-for-hiv.html)
Try to imagine you're in a situation where you *hope* your HIV progresses to AIDS so that you can receive assistance in fundamental matters such as housing or nutrition. Have some empathy, people.
omg--did someone actually say "now the AIDS people are screwing me over." We are talking about losing funding for people dying, or trying to live with, AIDS. For one day they are going to jail to protest and bring awareness--and someone thinks they are screwed because of traffic? It makes one lose faith.
Housing Works and Andrew Coamey are doing God's work. Really that's the best way to describe it.
May it continue for years to come until HIV is like Polio, a disease of the past.
Long live Housing Works!
Yeah... that first comment is a serious doozie. We're talking about people who are literally fighting to save lives, bringing attention to this issue - and this guy's got the nerve to complain about traffic, and losing part of his check. You live in fucking NYC, pal - I thought traffic and financial imposition were just basic aspects of life here...
@Greg- Sorry for the inconvenience while we try to change your world. Change is never convenient. Oh, and I'm also sorry you're so selfish & apathetic. PS: it's really not attractive.
-Signed
One of Robin's Merry Men who blocked your road today
@Greg- I wasn't going to comment because your diatribe was so utterly ridiculous but. . .
Who lives in 'The City' and DRIVES TO WORK?
now, that is extremely selfish!
~ Friar Tuck
@Greg: "Does anyone care that I lose money and this comes out of my check!!!"
I think the answer to your question is a unanimous, "NO." Also, exclamation point alert! #WhiteWhine
and yet when Greg does lose his job because he can't get to work on time because of protesters blocking traffic - the protesters will be all mad at Greg because, now unemployed, greg has no money to donate or contribute to the protesters cause. Far too many protesters are giving the movement a bad name because of stupid actions that have no real leadership nor organization or long term mission statement/goal plan. Every protester is a self appointed spokesperson and each one making a different statement and claim etc etc. It's all over the news and I have yet to see the same spokesperson or leadership represent the Occupy Everything (no matter who it hurts) Police your own movement or lose it to the fanaticals causing you the hysterical problems - because unfortuneately they are the ones getting the media cameras attention. Eddie should be the President of the movement because he's the only common sense person I've seen so far.
Norm - what are you talking about - this group of protestors from Housing Works had a very clear message - you can even see it on the signs in the photos. King Bloomberg (who annointed himself a 3rd term)cut services to people with AIDS so his rich pals could get their tax cuts and his buddies at the banks and corporations could get their bailouts. What aspect of what these people did do you not get? I bet Dr. King inconvenienced a few folks when he tried to march across a bridge or down a road or two.
Did anyone see the stories on the gothamist and HW website about the cops stealing the pizza of the protestors while they were in the joint?
www.housingworks.org or the gothamist. This is so freakin crazy it has to be true.
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