ACT UP At 30: Reinvigorated For Trump Fight
Donald Trump's presidency is less than three months old, but in that time there have been massive turnouts for the Women's March and for Tax Day protests in cities across the country demanding that Trump release his returns. This coming Saturday, on Earth Day, scores of March for Science protests are expected.
Helping to guide these actions are veteran activists with the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power — better known as ACT UP. Thirty years after the coalition's founding, some seasoned activists are dusting off their bullhorns and updating their direct-action playbooks to tap into the new wave of activism energized by opposition to Trump's policies.
Founded in 1987, ACT UP never settled for trying to push change quietly or behind the scenes.
It was loud, demanding and in-your-face with telegenic direct action, a protest that got serious attention and, occasionally, laughs.
Like the time members engulfed the suburban Virginia home of their that read "Helms Is Deadlier Than A Virus."
