Activists

City officials declared Tuesday that overnight camping is illegal at the downtown plaza where protesters with the Occupy Baltimore movement have been staying in tents for three weeks. The decision frustrated many of the protesters, but city officials did not say whether the group would be cleared from McKeldin Square, at the intersection of Pratt and Light streets. A spokesman for Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said officials would enforce "individual acts of illegal behavior on a case-by-case basis.

Washington. -- As ye sow, says the Good Book, so shall ye reap. AIDS activists learned the truth of that maxim when the Senate voted to create a new federal crime. Senators have been scared silly. So have we all.Under an amendment to an appropriations bill, doctors and dentists who carry the deadly HIV virus must advise their patients of their condition before performing any ''invasive procedure.'' Failure to do so would subject the health professionals to 10 years in prison and a fine of $10,000.

This is it. I've had it. I am outraged. What chutzpah! The article in The Baltimore Sun ("Israeli leader's 'makeup visit'," July 6) stated in a headline: "Obama expected to urge Netanyahu to issue apology for raid." I couldn't believe what I was reading. An apology, just to have a picture taken together? There is nothing for Mr. Netanyahu to apologize for--unless Mr. Obama thinks that violating blockades during wartime is okay, or allowing in people who call themselves "humanitarian or peace activists" who were linked to and/or are supporters of Hamas, Syria and Al Qaeda or were mercenaries paid to provoke the Israeli soldiers who attempted to inspect the cargo and/or identify the people on board to see if they were smuggling weapons or terrorists.

LONDON -- McDonald's claimed the verdict. The environmental activists claimed the streets.That's how England's longest trial ended yesterday when McDonald's won a libel suit over a pair of activists who distributed pamphlets that charged the company with promoting unhealthy food, environmental destruction, worker exploitation and animal suffering.But after spending a reported $16 million on the case that consumed 314 court days over 2 1/2 years, McDonald's emerged with a bit of McEgg on its face.

Though national advertisers are fleeing Rush Limbaugh after he called a birth control activist a slut, Baltimore seems immune to the exodus. Executives at WCBM, 680 AM, the affiliate that airs the Rush Limbaugh show locally, said Tuesday that not a single advertiser has dropped out. According to promotions director Eddie Applefeld, the worst that's happened is the station has fielded "about 30" phone calls. And traffic to the station's website spiked about 25 percent -- if that's a problem.

Derry, N.HEUGENE Robichaux says he is "sort of a semi-activist Democrat." He likes to follow the candidates and vote in the presidential primary every four years. He has been known to contribute $20 to a favorite candidate. But he is not feeling any lack in his life because the campaign hasn't started a year ahead of time as it usually does."Most people don't pay attention anyway," he says. "They're thinking about making a living and Jack W.Germond &JulesWitcoversending the kids to college and taking care of grandma.

THE CENSUS BUREAU has just issued some myth-shattering figures on homelessness that are giving activists for the homeless more reason than ever to be indignant.The bureau's new figures are based on last year's unique census effort, in which 15,000 census enumerators fanned out across the country to locate homeless people in shelters and on the streets. Though never intending to give a precise head count, the bureau sought to develop an Carl F.Horowitzaccurate profile of the characteristics and needs of America's homeless.

As researchers gather in Berlin for the Ninth International Conference on AIDS, many see growing evidence that once-promising approaches to fighting the disease may be useless or even harmful.Emerging new knowledge about the AIDS virus is making it harder to decide how to treat infected people, they say, and raising fears that use of AZT and other anti-viral drugs may be promoting more virulent strains of the virus."I'm not at all sure what to give my patients, when to give it, how to combine drugs, or which patients are most likely to benefit from what treatments," Dr. Paul Volberding, a leading U.S. AIDS physician, told colleagues last month at a Harvard AIDS Institute gathering.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - A recent surge in rapes of children and even babies has sparked national outrage here, as rights activists, medical professionals and ordinary South Africans accuse the government of not doing enough to stem the tide of sexual abuse. According to police statistics, almost 32,000 cases of rape and attempted rape of children were reported from January 2000 to June this year. At least a dozen recent cases, including the gang rape of a 9-month-old girl in Northern Cape province last week, have stirred disgust and shock nationwide.

The scene was more or less what I'd expected: lots of tents, lots of animated conversations among bohemian types who hadn't had enough sleep. But something was missing. "I didn't hear any drumming," I remarked as Robert Brune and I made the drive back to Columbia from Washington, where he'd just given me the nickel tour of the Occupy D.C. encampment on McPherson Square. "Yeah, I think some people had their fill of the drumming," he replied. After all, he explained, when you're only getting three or four hours sleep a night because you're in a tent alongside a busy city street, it's important to grab a few winks during any daylight down time.