SIGN ON NOW: Protest shooting of AIDS demonstrators

[Guest guest]

Please consider signing on to this letter protesting an attack on July

12 on a group of nonviolent, unarmed South African AIDS demonstrators.

They were beaten, shot at (10 treated for gunshot wounds) and

teargassed by police.

Please reply to me, Krauss: katie@... (please read what

to send below).

In solidarity,

Krauss

From: Greggg@...

Subject: [e-3x5] ITPC FW: SIGN ON NOW: Attacks on South African AIDS

protesters

Date: July 13, 2005 5:46:29 PM EDT

FED_AIDS_POL@..., HEALTHGAP@...,

e-3x5@...

Reply- e-3x5@...

ITPC FW: SIGN ON NOW: Attacks on South African AIDS protesters

Please reply to: Krauss

Please sign on to this statement condemning the violent attack on

demonstrators at a nonviolent protest of the Treatment Action Group of

South

Africa on July 12. For more information about the attack, please visit

their

web site at www.tac.org.za or see their statement, below.

DEADLINE FOR SIGNATURES IS 5 PM TOMORROW (July 14).

We can accept both individual and organizational affilation.

The final line is an expression TAC uses to show solidarity with other

groups.

We are using it now to show our solidarity with them.

Thanks!

Kate Krauss

katie@...

-----------

We, the undersigned, condemn the violence inflicted upon the nonviolent

protesters demanding AIDS treatment in Queenstown, South Africa on July

12,

2005. According to the Treatment Action Campaign, police assaulted and

then

opened fire upon a group of demonstrators. Forty people were injured,

including ten who were treated for gunshot wounds. Police then shot

teargas at the fleeing demonstrators. We call for the swift arrest and

prosecution of those responsible for these crimes.

South Africans have a right to health care under their own constitution.

They have a right to AIDS antiretroviral treatment, and the right to

demand it in nonviolent protest. Some six million people are living with

HIV/AIDS in South Africa; one million need treatment now. As of June

2005, only 176,000 are receiving it.

We are confident they will win their struggle for AIDS treatment. We

will back them every step of the way.

Viva TAC, viva!

----

Please reply to katie@... with:

Name as you would like to be listed

Organization (indicate whether it is an individual or organizational

sign on)

Address

Phone number (for us)

email (for us)

----

Treatment Action Campaign

NATIONAL: 34 Main Road, Muizenberg, 7945. Tel: 021-788 3507 Fax: 021-788

3726

EMAIL: info@... WEBSITE: http://ww.tac.org.za

Forty Injured, Ten Shot at Peaceful Protest to Demand Treatment

13 July 2005, Cape Town

When Mziwethu Faku and Nomphumelo Khweza and other TAC comrades from

Queenstown and the Hani District organized their peaceful protest

to ensure that people with HIV/AIDS receive antiretroviral treatment at

Frontier Hospital and throughout the Eastern Cape, they acted from

experience. Their lives had been saved by ARV treatment. They are both

active and healthy.

On 12 July 2005, the South African Police Services in Queenstown

brutally

assaulted and then opened fire on unarmed, peaceful protesters asking

for HIV treatment.

Forty people were injured and ten were treated for gunshot wounds. One

person, Pumla Xesha had to be admitted to hospital. At least ten of the

injured people were people who live openly with HIV/AIDS. The majority

of the protesters were women. At no stage was there violence, threat of

violence or any form of provocation. No warning to disperse was issued

as is required by law. After the assault, as people ran away, the police

opened fire with firearms and then used teargas.

The Hani District and the Eastern Cape TAC office had organized

the

protest after more than six months of negotiations with the provincial

and

local health authorities on the following issues:

1. Access to information on the number of people, tested,

counseled and treated was denied by provincial and local authorities

along with information on successes and challenges of the treatment

programme;

2. On 29 December 2004, Mrs N.P. Klaas of the Eastern Cape Health

Department sent a circular to all clinics that read: " No new clients

should be admitted on ARVs until further notice. Continue sending those

that are already on treatment to Frontier Hospital. "

3. Frontier Hospital in Queenstown serves a population of 200 000

people with five feeder clinics in the Lukhanji sub-district: Nomzamo,

Philani, Ilinge, Sada and Hewu clinics. It is estimated that 2000 people

need treatment but fewer than 200 people are on treatment. Fewer than 10

people have been put on treatment this year.

4. More people have died waiting for treatment than people on

treatment. TAC had received information that at Nomzamo Clinic 52

people are on treatment but that three people have died because of

starting too late. Further 51 people living with HIV/AIDS died waiting

while on the waiting list for treatment. There are currently 142 people

on the waiting list.

5. Since April 2005, the TAC District office has tried to

negotiate and get access to information and treatment - the local

management has referred us to the provincial management.

6. No urgency or accountability is shown in dealing with people

who are dying.

7. For the lack of urgency and accountability the MEC for Health

Dr.

Bevan Goqwana and the national Health Minister Manto Tshabalala Msimang

must

take responsibility. This includes responsibility for mismanagement and

unnecessary deaths.

We urge the Premier of the Eastern Cape, Ms Nosimo Balindlela to

intervene and meet urgently with TAC to ensure that lives are saved

through the following:

A) Making sure that the implementation of the treatment plan and

the

roll-out of ARV therapy proceeds with urgency across the province

because her MEC for Health has failed the people of the Eastern Cape;

Human resources for the health care system is prioritized;

C) Treatment literacy and community mobilization; and

D) The CEO of the Frontier Hospital and the SAPS face justice for

invoking violence against peaceful demonstrators including people living

with HIV/AIDS.

TAC will mobilize a mass demonstration in Queenstown on 26 July 2005.

We ask all civil society organizations and individuals to join us in

this protest against unnecessary HIV deaths, for treatment and against

police brutality. We will march to enforce our constitutional rights to

life, dignity, freedom to demonstrate, equality and access to health

care.

We were expressing our anger in a peaceful, dignified and assertive

manner. We will continue to use peaceful mass mobilization but we urge

the government to act with speed and compassion.

The TAC NEC salutes our Queenstown and Eastern Cape comrades. We say to

our leaders in the Eastern Cape: we are proud of your work - mobilize to

ensure at least 200 000 by 2006 and that ultimately everyone who needs

treatment gets it.