When: Sunday, July 18, 2010, 17:00
Where: International AIDS Conference, Messe Wien, in front of Building A, Registration by fountain (VIenna, Austria)
What: Hundreds of angry people living with HIV and AIDS activists will march through the Messe Wien conference center, the site of the 2010 International AIDS Conference, and then stage a mass “die-in” in order to delay the start of the opening ceremony.
A massive banner will be dropped at the site of the conference.
4 giant helium filled balloons will fly in front of the conference center with the faces of world leaders and demanding full funding to fight global AIDS.
Why: Governments around the world are slowing and scaling back on their commitments toward Universal Access to HIV care, treatment and prevention.
Tombstones will be left behind to remind conference attendees of the 15 million people who are in immediate need of treatment, reading ‘Broken Promises Kill, No Retreat, Fund AIDS’. AIDS activists are protesting the inaction of the U.S. and European governments who are pulling back in their support for AIDS care, treatment and prevention and the fact that governments in Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe, have failed to live up to their commitment to fund AIDS treatment and other health needs as laid out in the Abuja Declaration.
The activists will continue their actions throughout the duration of the conference.
The action was endorsed by over 200 AIDS organizations from around the world. For a full list, go to www.fundglobalaids.org
