October 6, 1999 Act Up demo at USTR in Washington, DC

[James Love <love@cptech.org>]

I attended this demonstration yesterday, which was held in front of the
USTR building.  The demonstration was organized by Act Up!, with a
particularly large turnout from Act Up! Philly, which apparently brought
down several bus loads of demonstrators from Philadelphia.   The AP
crowd count seemed fairly low.  Several White House aides who work on
these issues dropped by, probably in part because USTR is located
directly across the street from the Old Executive Office building, where
many White House staffers work.  The demonstration lasted about 3 hours,
and was a high energy event with speeches, drums, chants, a 20 ft
puppet, tombstones, and other impressive visuals. Julie Davids, Paul
Davis, Asia Russell, Mark Milano, Chatinkha Nakhoma and many many others
were very impressive, and it was very moving to see a number of the
protesters be willing to be arrested and go to jail to support the right
of persons in poor countries to get better access to health care.  Act
Up! was asking that US trade policy be changed more generally than just
for South Africa.    jamie

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/19991006/hl/aids_protest_1.html

Wednesday October 6 7:25 PM ET 
Activists Protest U.S. on AIDS Drug

By JENNIFER ANDES Associated Press Writer 
WASHINGTON (AP) - About 200 AIDS activists blocked traffic outside the
office of Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky on Wednesday to
protest against U.S. policies they say defeat developing countries'
efforts to get AIDS drugs.  Fourteen were arrested.

Members of the group ACT UP held signs, chanted slogans and tied up
traffic outside Barshefsky's office on 17th Street about a block from
the White House.

They accused Barshefsky of supporting U.S. pharmaceutical companies by
using the threat of economic sanctions to prevent developing countries
from producing generic drugs vital in the fight against AIDS.

``I just don't think that's an accurate picture,'' said Tom Tripp, a
spokesman with the U.S. Trade Representative's office.

``You have to recognize there's a complementary relationship between
issues like public health policy and the protection of intellectual
property rights,'' Tripp said, which include patent agreements. ``It's
not one or the other; you have to work themtogether.''

Demonstrators contended the U.S. government supports large
pharmaceutical companies who want to maintain high prices for drugs. The
mix of drugs necessary for AIDS patients is too expensive for most
residents of developing countries, said Julie Davids, a spokeswoman with
ACT UP.

The organization had been demonstrating for months against U.S. policies
toward South Africa after that country passed a lawgiving itself
unspecified power to import AIDS drugs from counties where they are sold
more cheaply or to license production within South Africa.

The United States was pressuring South Africa to amend the 1997 law but
backed down last month after South Africa signed an agreement not to
implement it in a way that would violate patent rights or other world
trade rules.

Vice President Al Gore had urged trade officials to work out some kind
of deal with South Africa after ACT UP protesters started dogging him at
public appearances, including political events promoting his 2000
presidential bid.

Now, activists say, the trade office is still restricting other
developing countries from getting affordable life saving medicines.

``Saving lives in Thailand, Brazil and India is just as vital as saving
lives in South Africa,'' Chris Kimmenez of ACT UP said in astatement
before the protest.