Restored LA AIDS memorial hosts vigil marking 45 years since first cases

The nation's first publicly funded AIDS monument in Los Angeles will host a candlelight vigil Thursday evening, months after it was restored following a sledgehammer attack in February 2025.

The vigil, titled "Sunset at Las Memorias AIDS Monument," coincides with the 45th anniversary of the first reported AIDS cases in the United States and falls during Pride Month, underscoring the memorial's enduring role as a gathering place for Los Angeles's Latino and LGBTQ+ communities.

Wall Las Memorias was established in 2004 at Lincoln Park in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles, making it the first monument of its kind to receive public funding in the nation, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. The organization behind it has operated for nearly three decades providing HIV, substance abuse and mental health services to Latino, LGBTQ+ and underserved populations.

The memorial was attacked in February 2025 when a man struck it with a sledgehammer. It was later restored using donations raised from supporters, ABC7 reported.

Thursday's vigil begins at 7 p.m. and is expected to draw HIV advocates, public health leaders, faith communities and local residents. Participants will gather for prayer, reflection, music, personal testimonies and individual candle-lighting ceremonies, according to ABC7.

Richard Zaldivar, founder and executive director of The Wall Las Memorias, reflected on the decision to site the memorial in Lincoln Heights. "People on the west side said why would you do it there? You know the people are not going to appreciate it there and I think any cultural community would appreciate it, if you create a project that speaks to their soul and that's why we built it here," he told ABC7 Los Angeles.

Zaldivar also described the monument's walkway design and its deeper purpose. "Children, gay men, mothers, babies with AIDS, but the walkway is more about a journey. A journey to reflect on the impact that HIV has had in our community," he said, according to ABC7.

The vigil falls just before June 5, when the United States will mark the 45th anniversary of the first reported AIDS cases, first documented in 1981.