Protesters are to walk from Trafalgar Square to WestminsterProtest comes as FDA imposes blood fine
Contaminated blood victims and protesters are expected to descend on Westminster to campaign about contaminated blood and remember those who have died.
A known figure of 4,800 haemophiliacs have been infected with faulty contaminated blood products since the 1970s and campaigners hope this can be brought to the public's attention.
The demonstrators will also hand in letters to Downing Street, in support of the Contaminated Blood Bill, a private members bill that is waiting for Parliamentary time in the commons.
The government has previously not given Parliamentary time to any legislation for contaminated blood victims. They maintained that ex-gratia payments, often one-off sums of between £20,000-£45,000 dependent on symptoms.
Campaigners, however, say that the issue is not so much about money, about the government and corporations admitting responsibility for their actions over twenty years ago.
The protest will take place on 30th June at Trafalgar Square at 12.30pm and move onto Westminster, ending in the lobby of the Houses of Parliament (see map below).
This news comes as campaign group TaintedBlood condemned the actions of the American Red Cross after they were fined $16m by the American Food and Drugs Agency (FDA) on Thursday.
According to TaintedBlood:
"We know that the American Red Cross failed miserably to take proactive and preventative measures at that time, and they were part of the vanguard who were well-poised to implement early blood testin g for HIV on a national scale - yet it is appalling to note that they were part of the steering group that actually impeded it!"
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