Student group for AIDS funding interrupts Obama speech

A student group advocating for global AIDS funding interrupted President Barack Obama’s speech at a rally for Gov. Deval Patrick on Saturday.

The Global Health and AIDS Coalition, made up of Harvard University and Dartmouth College students, attended the Hynes Convention Center rally to “get Obama’s attention.”

The group chanted at the rally while holding a sign that read, “keep the promise.”

Audience members drowned out the group by yelling “four more years” and pro-Patrick chants.

But get his attention they did.

Obama fired a response back to the group mid-speech by urging them to compare how Republicans and Democrats were handling the issue.

“If [the Republicans] win in Congress they will cut AIDS funding right here in the United States,” he said forcefully and to a huge ovation from the audience.

While many in the audience, which was thousands strong, seemed put-off by the group’s disruption, Obama welcomed the display.

“One of the great things about being a Democrat is that we like arguing with each other. What I would suggest to the folks concerned about AIDS funding is take a look at what the Republican leadership has to say about it,” Obama said with an impassioned tone.

A Coalition representative explained the outburst outside the convention center.

“The main goal today was to get President Obama to commit one billion dollars more for global AIDS in his 2010 budget,” said Marguerite Thorp, a member of Harvard’s chapter. “When we didn’t get that commitment we were aware that realistically our target was to get Obama’s attention to get him to respond and to get him to understand how important this issue is.”

Thorp said the group didn’t expect him to touch on AIDS during his speech.

“Our plan was to find a lull in the speech when we knew our voices would be heard,” he said.

After the rally, the group stood outside the venue chanting slogans such as “Yes we can! Fight global AIDS!” and holding up signs.