Cancer Patient Demanding to See TPP "Death Sentence Clause" Arrested at Ministerial Negotiations
September 30, 2015
Today in Atlanta, cancer patient Zahara Heckscher was arrested after disrupting negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in a protest aimed at maintaining access to affordable cancer medicines in the 12 countries affected by the trade treaty.
Heckscher, in a t-shirt reading "I HAVE CANCER. I CAN'T WAIT 8 YEARS," and holding an IV pole that read "TPP: Don' t Cut My IV,” refused to leave the Westin Hotel, the site of the negotiations between U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman and the other TPP trade ministers. She demanded that they show her the secret TPP text to verify for herself and other people living with cancer around the globe that the TPP would not include a "death sentence clause," the text of the US proposal to extend de facto monopolies on biological medicines by up to 8 years.
Heckscher, a seven-year breast cancer survivor, calls herself a cancer thriver. She has been treated by biologicals including trastuzumab (Hercepin) and pertuzumab (Perjeta). She is currently undergoing chemotherapy as part of a clinical trial, and continues on denosumab (Xgeva) treatment as well.
According to Heckscher, "For thousands of women to die unnecessary of breast cancer because of the TPP is a horrible, cruel, premeditated, and avoidable catastrophe. The provisions being decided by TPP ministers today could allow drug monopolies on biologics for 8 years. Some of these medicines cost up to tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of dollars a year."
"When you have breast cancer today, you can’t wait 8 years or 7 years or 6 years for a treatment to become available or affordable. When you have cancer, even a one-year delay in affordable medicine can be a death sentence. That is why we call this proposed provision of the TPP a 'death sentence clause.' If it passes, thousands of women like me will die waiting."
Video:
https://youtu.be/ENpMpf2TMhg
https://youtu.be/3CO_hU6Wz5g
https://youtu.be/pO6hr32Yr-8
Zahara Heckscher - you are a hero! Thank you!
Posted by: Shelley Jacques Pineo-Jensen | September 30, 2015 at 08:07 PM
Go Zahara. Way to make a stand and speak out about a crucial issue. So Proud!!
Posted by: Cindy Frank | October 01, 2015 at 10:57 AM
TPP was negotiated in secrecy to keep a misinformed public further misinformed while calling it a democracy which it never has been. A democratic republic is not always democratic as proved by the US oligarchic plutocracy.
Posted by: J.A. Dingman | October 02, 2015 at 08:36 PM
Secret trade deals for the new Global Royalty and then you wonder why they also formed the UN and now want to take away your means of self defense. Laugh out Loud, this world has seen many monsters before and these kind are nothing new. Protesting these deals is like protesting because Ted Bundy or some other mass murder kills people. Use your heads, these people, if they are people, respect only one thing. It's all they have ever respected. Remember, all political power issues forth from the muzzle of gun barrel. Chairman Mao said that, and then he said we must make sure the people never have guns so that the party will never be replaced by the people. There's a lesson in there somewheres. Arm up people. This isn't the end but the beginning because this nothing but the overthrow of human rights by tyrants and it's going to take a lot more than wandering in to a Backdoor Gangster Meeting while dragging your IV with you to change these peoples attitudes.
Posted by: Gambeir | October 10, 2015 at 01:52 AM