New York, NY —

President Barack Obama is attending a Democratic fundraiser this evening at the St. Regis Hotel in Midtown. Nearby, protestors have gathered and caused traffic disruptions.

The group is here to protest what they say is the Obama administration's failure to fund the effort to fight the global AIDS epidemic. And they say that, by contrast, former President George W. Bush did a better job at keeping the U.S. funding commitment as they think is required.

About 20 demonstrators were taken into police custody. They chained themselves together and sat in the middle of East 54th Street and Madison.

Earlier today the president met with some of the police officers who responded to the attempted Times Square bombing. White House spokesman Bill Burton says Obama told the officers the city's anti-terrorism efforts are a model for the rest of the country.