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AIDS activists took over Vice President Al Gore's second campaign stop this morning in Manchester, New Hampshire. The activists were protesting Gore's instrumental role in preventing AIDS medications from reaching people in developing countries, including South Africa and Thailand.

Five protesters, organized by the local chapter of AIDS Drugs for Africa, disrupted Gore's campaign speech with noisemakers, chants and banners reading "GORE'S GREED KILLS: AFRICA NEEDS AIDS DRUGS." They were seated directly behind Gore in the audience of 300 in the Hesser College Gym.

"After our protest, Gore said AIDS drugs for Africa are very important. Yet, he is personally standing in the way of cheap, life-saving treatment for Africans with HIV", said Moshe Mizrahi, a protester. "I guess Gore does have strong family values after all; he has family ties to the pharmaceutical lobby and he's killing people on their behalf."

Gore's domestic policy advisor, David Beier, is the former head lobbyist for Genetech, a major U.S. pharmaceutical company. Tony Podesta, top Gore advisor and brother of Clinton's chief of staff, is currently the contracted lobbyist for PhARMA (Pharmaceutical Manufacturer's Association) and most other U.S. drug interests. Tom Downey, close Gore associate and former congressman, lobbies for Merck pharmaceuticals. Gore fundraiser Peter Knight is a former Schering-Plough lobbyist.

Gore has vehemently opposed the practice of "compulsory licensing", which allows local companies to produce cheap, generic AIDS drugs. He has threatened sanctions against the South African government unless President Thabo Mbeki calls a halt to generic drug production. Compulsory licensing is legal under current international trade agreements, and provides royalties to patent owners. AIDS medications would be available at 10% of their American price.

Currently, 22.5 million Africans are HIV-positive, including up to 26% of young adults, and totaling 67% of the world's HIV+ population. Virtually all are poor and unable to afford treatment at American prices. Most AIDS deaths in developing countries result from lack of access to drugs for treatable infections. Average income in South Africa is $2,600/year, and name-brand AIDS drugs cost around $12,000/year.

Pharmaceutical companies based in the U.S., long under attack for price-gouging at the expense of human lives, have claimed that the high cost of treatment reflects their production expenses. These companies stand to lose credibility as generic drug licensing exposes the true low cost of AIDS drug production; which may prevent them from continuing to drastically overcharge in first-world markets.

"Gore's abuse of power is a campaign issue," said Anna Janssen, a local AIDS activist. "He's taken a position, for the sake of earning points with lobbyists, that absolutely guarantees millions of deaths. Now he wants us to place our fate in his hands as President. Personally, I don't dare."

Local chapters of AIDS Drugs For Africa have vowed to confront Gore at every campaign stop.

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