[afro-nets] UNAIDS Statement on Violence against Protesters

[Gregg Gonsalves <Greggg@GMHC.org>]

UNAIDS Statement on Violence against Protesters
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Geneva, 14 July 2005 - The Joint United Nations Programme on
HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) finds unacceptable, the actions of the police
during a protest of people living with HIV at a South African
hospital in Queenstown, Eastern Cape province.

According to news reports about 40 people were injured, one se-
riously, following a peaceful protest for HIV treatment at the
Frontier Hospital.

UNAIDS has long supported and will continue to support the free-
dom of assembly and association for people living with HIV. It
is imperative for people living with HIV to be able to openly
share information about the disease, to learn about options for
treatment and to advocate for better care-including access to
life-saving treatment.

UNAIDS calls on leaders across the globe to ensure that people
living with HIV are not deprived of these rights.


--
Gregg Gonsalves
mailto:Greggg@GMHC.org