London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

'It is apartheid': Activists blast pharma firms in protest at AstraZeneca's UK HQ over fairer access to Covid-19 jabs

'It is apartheid': Activists blast pharma firms in protest at AstraZeneca's UK HQ over fairer access to Covid-19 jabs

Police have reportedly arrested protesters outside AstraZeneca's UK office where activists demanded pharmaceutical firms waive Covid-19 vaccine patent rights, and called for jabs to be more equally distributed.

The protests, led by Global Justice Now, began on Tuesday morning when two people chained themselves to the front doors of the Anglo-Swedish company's HQ in the city of Cambridge.

Others climbed onto the porch above the doors and unfurled a banner reading: "People's vaccine not profit vaccine."

Some activists played drums as police scuffled with protesters and made two arrests, according to a reporter for the Guardian.


Among speakers addressing the small crowd outside AstraZeneca's office was Dr Priyamvada Gopal, a lecturer in postcolonial literature at the University of Cambridge's Churchill College.

"The virus is really laughing with glee," she said. "The more we have patents, the more we refuse to share know-how, the more we privatise medicine, the more it is able to run rampant."

"What we now have, as many people have said, is vaccine apartheid. It is apartheid, it is protecting people on class lines, on caste lines and on race lines."

On Monday, some 450 public health experts, charities, faith leaders and others published an open letter calling on UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to waive vaccine patents.

US President Joe Biden's administration said last week it backed proposals by India and South Africa at the World Trade Organization (WTO) to waive intellectual property rights on vaccines and other technologies.

The World Health Organization's Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus – who has previously called for nations to support such plans – said the US move marked a "monumental moment in the fight against Covid-19."

On Tuesday, Reuters reported that a spokesperson for the UK government had confirmed it was "engaging" with the US and other WTO members on the issue of waivers.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×