NEW YORK, NY: Shouting "Gore kills Africans," blowing whistles and waving signs and banners demanding "AIDS drugs for Africa," about a dozen AIDS activists stunned United States Vice President Al Gore at each of his first three stops to officially kick off his presidential campaign. At his first announcement of his candidacy in Carthage, Tennessee, on Wednesday, June 16th, and then in Manchester, New Hampshire, and New York, New York, on Thursday, June 17th, AIDS activists demanded that Gore and the Clinton administration reverse their policy of denying life-saving drugs to Africans and others around the world with AIDS. Gore repeatedly, publicly offered to meet with the activists, but was unable to answer their charges when confronted.

The activists, from New York City and Philadelphia, are members of a large coalition of organizations and individuals dedicated to helping people around the world get the medications they need to fight HIV/AIDS and related life-threatening illnesses.

In the last few years, AIDS death rates have dropped dramatically in the United States, but the epidemic continues to rage unchecked elsewhere in the world. South Africa currently has the fastest spreading infection rate. One out of eight adult South Africans is now infected with HIV, with the highest numbers among young adults and pregnant women. But South Africans with HIV/AIDS cannot afford the very high-priced new drugs, such as protease inhibitors, that are saving American lives, at a cost, mostly to insurance companies and government programs, of tens of thousands of dollars a year. International law allows countries like South Africa, unable to afford these drugs, to manufacture their own cheaper versions. But the Clinton administration has imposed trade sanctions against South Africa and threatened more if South Africa tries to manufacture these drugs. Why? Because Clinton, Gore and the Democratic party are recipients of large campaign contributions from the pharmaceutical industry and have close ties to drug industry lobbyists (see attached). Gore himself has personally threatened retaliation against South Africa, in meetings with their government officials.

Seven activists interrupted Gore's Carthage, Tennessee speech with whistles and yelling, causing Gore to stop in mid-thought, remain silent and open-mouthed for a few seconds, before gathering his wits enough to proclaim his support of free speech. As the activists continued to shout their demand for a reversal of U.S. AIDS drug policies, several crowd members began to attack them, punching and kicking. The activists escaped peacefully and left when the Carthage sheriff told them to "get out of town and don't ever come back."

In Manchester on Thursday morning, another half dozen activists found seats on the stage just a few feet away from Gore. As he started to speak, they stood, unfurled a banner demanding AIDS drugs for Africa and chanted for about a minute before the Secret Service and local law enforcement officials escorted them from the stage, just as a group of local firefighters was rising from the audience to attack them. Gore said repeatedly, as the activists stood next to him and chanted, "I'll be happy to meet with you later." He did not have such a meeting there.

In New York City, later Thursday afternoon, another group of half a dozen activists, some just returned from Tennessee, obtained seats in the VIP area at Federal Hall and again interrupted Gore's speech there. Waving signs and chanting, the AIDS activists, for a third time in just over twenty-four hours, demanded Gore reverse administration policy and allow South Africa, Thailand and other countries facing a devastating AIDS epidemic to gain access to life-saving drugs at affordable prices.

There were no arrests at any of the disruptions. All the activists left peacefully when asked to do so.

Subsequently, Clinton administration officials and friends have called the activists and their colleagues, sounding desperate to find out how they can stop the demonstrations, which have clearly embarrassed Gore. Activists are repeating their demands for a reversal of administration policy on access to affordable drugs.

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