President Obama was heckled on
Wednesday night as he delivered a speech at a Democratic party
fundraiser in New York City, the AP reported.
On two occasions, the protesters
managed to disrupt the president.
In the first disturbance, a woman
yelled, “President Obama, President Obama,” as the demonstrators
she was with held up signs that read “Broken Promises Kill” and
“No retreat, fund AIDS.”
The president responded by saying that
his administration had increased funding for AIDS, but minutes later
the woman shouted at the president again, and Obama replied: “We
listened to you, we heard your point … It's a conversation I'm
happy to have.”
Later, a man disrupted the president by
yelling “Don't Ask, Don't Tell,” the policy that bans gay troops
from serving openly. The man was drowned out by chants of “Obama,
Obama.”
Obama replied: “That's why we need
your energy and enthusiasm. This young lady here, she wants an
increase in AIDS funding … I'm sure we could do more, if we're able
to grow this economy again. That young man shouted, 'Don't Ask,
Don't Tell' … as president, I said we would reverse it ...”
The disruptions come a day after
Democrats
failed to break a Republican filibuster on repeal of “Don't Ask,
Don't Tell.”
AIDS activists in New York City are
facing a half-a-million dollar proposed cut in AIDS prevention
funding and the city is also considering cutting 248 caseworkers from
the HIV/AIDS Services Administration (HASA).