In Giuliani's Last Month as New York City Mayor, AIDS Activists Focus on Bloomberg

New York activists on World AIDS Day abandoned what has become an annual blasting of Mayor Rudolph Giuliani in favor of welcoming his successor, mayor-elect Michael Bloomberg. And for the first time, the rally was held in Harlem, instead of outside City Hall, where Giuliani had long been showcased as the rally's enemy. "While Mayor Giuliani has had an inherently negative impact on the lives of people living with AIDS and HIV, I think it's important that we give the new mayor the opportunity to develop policies and give leadership," said Keith Cylar, co-executive director of Housing Works, which organized the rally.

As Cylar spoke, demonstrators read thousands of names from thick binders containing lists of people who have died of AIDS. The 24-hour vigil began at midnight, with various speakers joining the effort throughout Saturday, including Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, (D-N.Y.). "The millions and millions of people living and dying with AIDS deserve the attention of the world," Clinton said, before reading a list of names. Bloomberg also was invited to the event but could not attend, Cylar said. He added that Housing Works contacted Bloomberg's transitional team. The group would most like Bloomberg, who takes office Jan. 1, 2002, to invest city tax dollars into AIDS prevention and education programs, as well as medical care, he said.

Jerry Russo, a spokesperson for Bloomberg, referred reporters to the mayor-elect's campaign Web site and could not immediately say whether Bloomberg planned to meet with the group. According to the Web site, Bloomberg thinks more attention should be focused on the AIDS epidemic in minority communities, which activists argue have been ignored in recent years. Bloomberg also supports city-provided matching funds for HIV/AIDS medical care and support services "funded by the charitable sector through a competitive bidding process. This would increase the total dollars being spent on these services," the Web site said. Giuliani has said New York spends more money to help people living with AIDS than it did before he was in office.

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