Hundreds of protesters gathered at the New York City AIDS Memorial on Saturday as part of a protest organized by ACT UP New York, one of the most prominent HIV advocacy groups. Protesters marched from the site to the unmarked office building of Palantir, a surveillance tech company that does contract work for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and staged a die-in out in the street.
The protest, which commemorated the organization’s 39th anniversary, was held to protest government spending on ICE and the U.S. war against Iran, amid cuts to funding for HIV resources and health care. The rally also honored Mark Milano, a New York activist who died in January after decades of organizing around HIV.
The Advocate has compiled a photo series of the event to capture the demonstration visually.
Protesters carry a banner through Manhattan on a march to Palantir’s office March 21, 2026.
Jack Walker/The Advocate
Protesters march through downtown Manhattan.
A protester raises their fist shortly after hanging a blood-patterned banner on the scaffolding of the Palantir office building.
Jack Walker/The Advocate
A protester raised a banner with a bloody handprint banner outside the Palantir office building.
Protesters met at the New York City AIDS Memorial, where organizers delivered remarks.
Jack Walker/The Advocate
Protesters gathered at the New York City AIDS Memorial at the start of the rally.
Jay W. Walker, a New York City activist, delivers remarks at the New York City AIDS Memorial.
Jack Walker/The Advocate
Activists including Jay W. Walker, pictured here, spoke to rally attendees at the New York City AIDS Memorial.
Protesters continue the march to Palantir’s office building in Manhattan.
Jack Walker/The Advocate
Protesters carried multiple banners through the street during the march.
A protester raises their fist in the air during the march to Palantir’s office in Manhattan.
Jack Walker/The Advocate
The protest was organized by ACT UP and commemorated the group’s 39th anniversary.
Buttons adorn an activist’s vest at the New York City AIDS Memorial.
Jack Walker/The Advocate
Several activists helping organize the protest wore vests displaying buttons from various social movements.
Protesters lie in the street outside of Palantir’s office in the Flatiron District.
Jack Walker/The Advocate
Dozens of the protesters lay in the street outside Palantir to cap off the Saturday rally.
One protester raises a sign opposing Palantir as a beneficiary of the federal government’s investment in ICE and the war against Iran.
Jack Walker/The Advocate
Saturday’s demonstration was a die-in, a callback to a form of protest popularized by AIDS activists in the 1980s.
Protesters lie in the street outside of Palantir’s Manhattan office space as part of a March 21, 2026 protest organized by ACT UP New York.
Jack Walker/The Advocate
Protesters carried signs opposing government spending on military and ICE, and advocating for renewed investment in HIV care and public health.
A protester at the die-in shields their face with an American flag where the stars have been replaced with skulls.
Jack Walker/The Advocate
Hundreds of people rallied in Manhattan over the course of Saturday’s protest.
This article was written as part of the Future of Queer Media fellowship program at The Advocate, which is underwritten by a generous gift from Morrison Media Group. The program helps support the next generation of LGBTQ+ journalists.