Philip Morris Protest
The National ACT UP Organization engaged in a year long protest in 1990 of multinational tobacco company Philip Morris, which produces Marlboro cigarrettes and Miller beer. Their grievance with the company was its support of Senator Jesse Helms, a republican from North Carolina who openly opposed AIDS funding and LGBTQ civil rights. The goal of the protest was to demand that Philip Morris sever ties with Jesse Helms.
In October of 1990 Philip Morris sponsored a nationwide tour of a historic copy of the bill of rights. ACT UP chapters across the country showed up at the tour stops to protest the company, including ACT UP Rhode Island. Eventually, in the spring of 1991, Philip Morris reached a settlement with ACT UP/DC. While they continued to support Jesse Helms, the company agreed to make large donations to AIDS-related causes. Many ACT UP chapters opposed ending the boycott, since the original issue has not been settled. Some also took issue with the ethical implications of taking money from a tobacco company.1
