From: MPetrelis@aol.com Date: Wed, 9 Aug 2000 02:12:50 EDT Subject: My report on demonstration at UCSF AIDS programs August 9, 2000 Dear friends: Despite a quote in the Bay Area Reporter saying that he would both greet me and present me with roses, Jeff Sheehy, the communications director for UCSF's AIDS Research Institute failed to do either on Monday, August 7 at 12 noon. As promised, I showed up at the 74 New Montgomery Street offices of UCSF's assorted AIDS prevention programs to hold a one hour picket and present UCSF's AIDS leaders with a bouquet of sunflowers symbolizing the need for openness on the part of the researchers. There were over fifteen uniformed SF police officers protecting the entrance and a dozen picketers, mainly from ACT UP SF. The cops said they were fine about my intentions for an outside picket, but I couldn't go in the building. A large warning about no trespassing on bright yellow paper was pasted to a side window. Various reporters, photographers and cameramen from KPFA radio, KGO All Talk Radio, KPIX TV News, Bay TV News, the Bay Times, the Associated Press and the Advocate were starting to show up. The reporters asked questions about the HIV numbers and were up to speed about the ongoing controversy regarding the alleged increases. Many of them told me how they can't get call backs from the health department and UCSF. At 12:15 PM a well dressed public relations director for UCSF whispered to the reporters that UCSF AIDS officials were ready to answer questions from reporters. I noticed the p.r. flack had given reporters a two page handout and asked for a copy. He declined to share one with me. Then he whisked the assembled media folks up into the building. After twenty minutes the reporters filtered back out on the street and asked me questions. "They say you received all the data you requested. Why are you still demonstrating?" "It simply is not true that UCSF has released evidence backing up its claims of nearly 1,000 new HIV infections in San Francisco. A glance at the UCSF CAPS web site is all one needs to see UCSF promises data and roses, but does not deliver," I explained as I held up the sunflower bouquet for better impact. "We need Sheehy and UCSF to adhere to AIDS sunshine principles, especially if what they allege about HIV surges is true. If HIV is up, then where are the public meetings and actions plans to deal with coming doom? Since UCSF researchers may fear meeting with the gay community, I suggest they use the web to disseminate their evidence and contracts and salaries. UCSF AIDS programs have great sites, but they lack the information I think we all need readily available," I said. The reporters posed one or two general questions about my web site AIDS-Statistics.com before heading back to their respective offices to file stories. I read someone's copy of the UCSF two page response but never got my own copy. I found the p.r. flack's unwillingness to give me a copy truly indicative of UCSF policies regarding releasing info. Much to my delight all of the newscasts treated the story seriously and gave me quite a leg to stand on, so to speak. The TV coverage included footage of ACT UP SF with signs rejecting UCSF claims of HIV surges, shots of me holding sunflowers under my chin as I call for release of fiscal and scientific info from UCSF, and then shots of multicolored block numbers swirling in the wind, inches above the sidewalk. But nothing on TV of UCSF spokespersons. Only one media outlet, KPFA radio in Berkeley, included comments from Thomas Coates, director of CAPS at UCSF. However, his voice was rather muffled and hard to hear with clarity, which may have been due to the audio equipment. I did not expect any press attention for my sunflower event. C'mon, it is almost two months since the Chronicle printed allegations of HIV skyrocketing and you have a grassroots activist complaining against the big university. Yawn. Who cares, right? To have media outlets on both the mainstream and alternative ends of the journalistic spectrum show up and turn my complaint into a news story proves this story has legs. If you live in San Francisco, please come to Tom Ammiano's hearing at City Hall at 11:00 am today, August 9, for the finance committee meeting of the board of supervisors. Remember that members of the public usually get three minutes of public comment time to give their views on matters of importance before the committee. And if you can't be there, but you have cable access in SF, the meeting will be broadcast live on The City's cable station channel 26. Show up, or tune in, OK? Thanks. Michael Petrelis Welcome to AIDS-STATISTICS www.AIDS-statistics.com 2215-R Market Street, #413 San Francisco, CA 94114