Hundreds Rally for AIDSVote in NYC, Westchester

Our visits to four campaign HQs today -- those of the major-party candidates for Governor and U.S. Senate in New York -- went smashingly well. About 125 people living with HIV/AIDS and activists gathered in Bryant Park for a kick-off rally, marched to Eliot Spitzer HQ at 43rd & Madison led by an American flag and chants of "If Spitzer had AIDS what would he do? Find a cure! Find a cure!" Spitzer operations/media staff gracefully accepted a stack of 5000+ petitions after a brief talk by activists from AIDS Center of Queens County. The group marched through midtown to John Faso HQ at 47th & 2nd for a vigorous rally, talk by activists from Citiwide Harm Reduction and a petition handoff. Then it was off to Hillary Clinton HQ at 420 Lex for a crowded-sidewalk picket outside Grand Central Station, a talk by folks from Housing Works, and a petition drop off to policy and media staff for Senator Clinton's re-election campaign. We then trekked to Westchester where we met up with a crew from Living Together and dropped off petitions at the John Spencer bunker on the Hudson. Some of the formerly homeless folks suggested it felt like an abandoned building...we got the chilliest reception of the day there, but our PWA friends from Westchester were fantastic, and we made plans to work together more soon. Michael Kink Housing Works