Both groups found out late last night that the President would be visiting Cambridge, and quickly organized demonstrations to be held across from the Charles Hotel.

Ukrainian flags were distributed throughout the crowd and protesters chanted phrases that included “Pressure on Putin” and ”Slava Ukraine! Heroyam Slava!” which translates to “Glory to Ukraine! Glory to Heroes!”

Other demonstrators held pro-PEPAR paraphernalia.

“We threw some signs together, recycled some old ones, grabbed some bed sheets, and made this happen,” GHAC member Eudora Olsen ’17 said. “[AIDS has] sort of fallen off the radar and we’re trying to bring attention back to it.”

As the founding chapter of the Student Global Aids Campaign, GHAC is among the most active branches it the organization nationwide. It recently organized a walkout against House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in response to his refusal to fund a syringe exchange program.

Yet, according to GHAC member India Perez-Urbano ’16, Wednesday was a particularly opportune moment to hold a demonstration.

“We don’t get many opportunities like this,” Perez-Urbano said. “We just want [Obama] to see our message.”

Amirah Sequeira, the national coordinator for the Student Global Aids Campaign who attended the rally, also called for Obama to return to supporting an AIDS free generation.

“Today’s demonstration is focused on the President’s budget cuts that were released yesterday,” Sequeira said. “The number of people receiving treatment around the world is going to greatly decrease. It affects millions.”

—Staff writer Conor J. Reilley can be reached at conor.reilley@thecrimson.com

—Staff writer Zohra D. Yaqhubi can be reached at zohra.yaqhubi@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter at @zohradyaqhubi.