AIDS Demonstration Held on Golden Gate Span at Rush Hour

In one of the most radical AIDS demonstrations to date, 80 activists blocked the Golden Gate Bridge at the height of the morning rush hour Tuesday, angering commuters who were delayed two hours or more.

The span was closed for 46 minutes while California Highway Patrol officers arrested 26 protesters, who were part of a group called Stop AIDS Now or Else. The protesters were cited for trespassing and creating a public nuisance.

They were released by midday, in time for an afternoon press conference overlooking the Golden Gate. Several members of the group vowed to take similar actions in the future.

“The reason that so little has happened (in the fight against AIDS) is that people thought that they weren’t affected. If this action personally affected people, maybe they will care,” said Rebecca Hensler, 20.

Members of the group walked onto the bridge about 7:30 a.m., then stepped into the slow-moving traffic and unfurled a banner reading: “AIDS Genocide; Silence Death; Fight Back.”

As motorists were stopped, protesters passed out leaflets thanking “the people of the Bay Area for leading the nation in a compassionate and active response to AIDS” but urging them to become more active in the fight against acquired immune deficiency syndrome.

“I felt it was incredibly inappropriate targeting probably the most sympathetic audience in the country,” said Mark Dunlop, who planned to get to work early Tuesday but ended up stopping at a restaurant, which was mobbed with other detoured commuters. “They should be targeting the direct causes of their frustration, as opposed to innocent and potentially helpful bystanders.”

Other AIDS organizations here disagreed with the choice of targets, even though they say that acts of civil disobedience will increase with the toll of the disease.