ACT UP London to stage die-in mass protest at Trafalgar Square over UK HIV funding cuts
"We thought that era when people died waiting for justice was over," says Dan Glass from ACT UP London
By Aaron Sugg
ACT UP London has organised a mass protest die-in against the government’s cuts to domestic and international HIV/AIDS aid and support this World AIDS Day.
The HIV awareness group has planned the protest amid warnings from HIV experts that reductions in funding for voluntary sector HIV services are threatening the UK’s goal of ending new HIV transmissions by 2030.
The lobby will take place at Trafalgar Square on Monday, 1 December 2025, starting at 8am, under the banner, “Remember the Dead and Fight for the Living.”
“We thought die-ins were history” – ACT UP London’s Dan Glass on the the UK Government’s cuts to HIV aid funding
Members of ACT UP London emphasise the historical significance of the Die-In, a call to action in the 1980s and 1990s that drew attention to the AIDS crisis, and note its continued relevance in modern-day society.
Dan Glass, a member of the group, said in a statement: “We thought die-ins were history… We thought that era when people died waiting for justice was over.”
He added: “We’re living under a weak-willed ‘Labour-tory’ government that has gutted the HIV voluntary sector.”
“Less money does not mean less action” – Baroness Chapman of Darlington on the UK’s cuts to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS
It was announced on 11 November that the UK is cutting down its pledge to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to £850 million for 2026‑2028, a 15% decrease from the £1 billion pledged for 2023 – 25.
In the governing letter issued by Baroness Chapman of Darlington, she stated: “As the Prime Minister [Keir Starmer] noted, this government is proud of the UK’s pioneering record on overseas development. Less money does not mean less action.”
A recent report from HIV Outcomes UK, drawing on data from over 50 organisations and 300 people living with HIV, highlights the worrying outcome of these cuts: “As a consequence, it is very likely that the numbers of people becoming disengaged from HIV care will rise.”
“In a time of continuing stigma, silence, and isolation, we combat discrimination ” – ACT UP London on vital HIV/AIDS funding
Eliza Goroya from ACT UP London said: “People who know their status and are on treatment cannot transmit HIV.” They added, “It is people who ignore their status, or falsely believe this virus would spare them based on gender, sexuality, sexual behaviour or else that need awareness, resources and accessible testing.”
Their official website states: “In a time of continuing stigma, silence, and isolation, we combat discrimination against and promote the visibility and leadership of those living with HIV and AIDS.”
World AIDS Day is observed every year on 1 December, Ian Johns, 68, said: “It’s a time to honour the friends and loved ones we’ve lost to HIV, and to recognise the ongoing struggle against this disease.”
“The fight is far from over” – Ian Johns, ACT UP London, on World AIDS Day
He concluded: “The fight is far from over, but the passion and resilience of our community inspire me every day.”
The US is also terminating its funding agreement with UNAIDS. “The sudden pause had an immediate impact on the delivery of life-saving HIV medicines and the provision of HIV prevention services to millions of people whose lives depend on them,” writes a UNIAIDS report.
According to GOV.UK, around 104,000 adults were living with HIV in England in 2023.