ROME — Activists from charity groups on Friday held a flash mob in Rome ahead of the G20 leaders’ summit, calling on leaders of the world’s biggest economies to end inequalities between nations in access to COVID-19 treatments and vaccines. Activists assembled around a coffin with a banner reading “5,000,000 deaths” — symbolizing worldwide victims of the disease. Another demonstrator carried a red sign saying: “I want a people’s vaccine, not a profit vaccine”. Oxfam, Amnesty International, and the Italian group Emergency urged G20 leaders to find immediate solutions to save lives, saying a suspension of vaccine patents helps boost production and helps states unable to afford prices demanded by the industry. Other demonstrations are taking place in Rome, with many activists urging world leaders to take action against climate change ahead of the United Nation’s climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer October 29, 2021 20:46 UTC