On April 21, 1989, ACT UP activists stormed the Burroughs Wellcome headquarters, protesting the exorbitant cost of AZT, the sole approved HIV treatment at $8,000 yearly. They executed a dramatic occupation by locking themselves to the building, underlining the struggle against corporate greed in the pharmaceutical industry. Rooted in a marginalized queer community, ACT UP emerged as a force for dignity and equality, juxtaposing their grassroots efforts against the era’s corporate titans who favored new architectural symbols of progress.
ACT UP's self-styled Power Drill Team turned the structure's harsh materials against it, locking themselves in place to occupy Burroughs Wellcome's headquarters, drawing attention to exorbitant drug costs.
Dedicated to winning dignity and equality for the marginalized, ACT UP highlighted the stark contrast between corporate America's aspirations for new, iconic buildings and grassroots activism's need for old, repurposed spaces.
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