AIDS Activists Shut Down D.C. Gov't Building Small Demo Causes Huge Disruption
WASHINGTON [July 24, 1989] — A band of 25 demonstrators from the local direct action group OUT! (Oppression Under Target) effectively blocked two entrances to the District of Columbia's government building, disrupted a district council meeting and lined the hallways of the building with reams of red tape. The July 11 [1989] protest was called in response to the District of Columbia's handling of its AIDS budget. Thirteen demonstrators were arrested.
Members of the gay and lesbian activist organization have charged that the local government has not spent as much as half the money it has set aside for local AIDS allocations this year. Due to local regulations, all monies unspent by the end of the fiscal year must be returned to the governent. The activists have charged that the government is purposely delaying the approval of several AIDS contracts in order to ease the strain on the District's overburdened budget.
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"Nearly two million dollars in AIDS contracts are sitting there, awaiting award," [Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance of Washington, D.C. president Roger] Doughty stated in his testimony. "Even if everyone of these contracts were to be awarded today, there's no way the money could be spent in the time left. Contracting delays have rendered the District's budget completely meaningless. There's absolutely no excuse for the foot dragging and budget manipulation of this government."
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At 9:30 on the morning of the demonstration, visitors and district workers were entering the building and passing through the building's metal detector when one OUT! member delayed the line by repeatedly going through the detector walk-through with metal in his pockets. At that point, five demonstrators at each of the building's two main doors stood outside the doors and clamped them shut using an unbreakable bicycle lock. The demonstrators then chained and locked themselves to the lock, held up banners and began chanting. "No more business as usual!" to the dismay and amusement of District workers trapped inside and outside the building.
At 9:40 a.m., police officers arrived and began taping off the streets adjoining the door and ordering all reporters and camera operators to stand across the street, out of sight of the demonstrators. Inside, police likewise ordered all those in the hall away from the door, but were less successful.
After all ten of the demonstrators were arrested, the bolt still held the door closed. Although the door handles to which the bolt was attached could be taken off with a screwdriver, the police called the fire department to dismantle the door. About ten minutes later, one OUT! member handed the key to the bolt to the police.
Later, inside the District Council chambers, OUT! members disrupted a Council meeting, while other members wandered the halls of the building, taping flyers on the building's wall, windows and doors with red tape. Silently, and with little attention, they placed big red tape crosses across doorways, stairwells and elevator doors.
Secretaries were startled as they emerged from their offices to find themselves being photographed behind the red tape exes. After ten minutes of taping, two D.C. police officers ordered the demonstrators to stop, one of them angrily break- ing through the tape with his billy club.
The officers then dragged OUT! members Aimie Zourn and Shaun Burger down the halls and down the stairs, one police officer smacking Burger on his buttocks while tugging him down the marble steps.
"Spend the AIDS money!" they chanted as they were dragged. "Spend the AIDS money!"
Television crews quickly descended from the Council chambers to interview the demonstrators who passionately explained why they were there. Sweaty and visibly shaken, Burger quietly told a television reporter, "Yes, we want to be arrested. People are dying."
After ten minutes, the two were lifted off the floor and carried to a holding room, where they remained until more officers, again wearing rubber gloves, arrived to take them away.
The initial ten protesters were charged with violation of a disorderly conduct statute, a minor violation. Charges on the other three demonstrators were not available at press time.
— Cliff O’Neill, OutWeek Magazine No. 5, July 24, 1989, p. 20.
