Eastern Cape police have opened fire on a peaceful TAC demonstration at a hospital, injuring 40. We've protested vociferously to the South African and British governments.

On July 12th 2005, forty people were injured by South African police at a peaceful Treatment Action Campaign demonstration at Frontier Hospital in Queenstown. The TAC protest - which was calling for people with HIV/AIDS to receive antiretroviral treatment at Frontier Hospital and throughout the Eastern Cape - met with a violent response from local police.

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 (Source: TAC).

FoTAC sent a strong letter of condemnation to the South African High Commissioner in the UK; to the British Foreign Secretary; and to the South African and East Cape governments. We also sent a letter of support to TAC's mass demonstration to protest the violence on July 26th. Click here to read the letters.