Nan Goldin arrested in New York protest as Sackler settlement reveals potential wealth retention

Photographer and activist Nan Goldin was arrested with 12 members of her group P.A.I.N. outside Governor Andrew Cuomo's Manhattan office on September 2, 2019, during a demonstration criticizing his inaction on overdose protection centers. Goldin has led high-profile protests against Sackler family donations at institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Guggenheim Museum. The Sacklers, major arts donors, proposed a settlement where Purdue Pharma would become a trust addressing the opioid crisis while they pay $3 billion to plaintiffs. A Washington Post analysis indicates the family could retain most of their personal fortune by selling their international drug company Mundipharma, potentially increasing their wealth to $12 billion. Purdue would manufacture free anti-addiction medications and overdose antidotes funded by continued OxyContin sales. Institutions including the Serpentine Galleries, Victoria & Albert Museum, Tate Gallery, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Guggenheim, and Louvre have faced protests demanding removal of the Sackler name. Goldin previously threatened to withdraw from a National Portrait Gallery retrospective over the issue. Protesters held signs accusing Cuomo of insufficient action on drug addiction treatment.