Over 40 people protested at AstraZeneca's Macclesfield site today, to mount pressure on the company and Boris Johnson to support the waiving of COVID-19 vaccine patents.

Demonstrators want the pharmaceutical giant to remove their intellectual property rights to the patented vaccine, to help inoculate and save more lives around the world.

They peacefully demanded a 'people's vaccine', outside the company buildings which employs hundreds of people in Macc.

This would involve the British-Swedish vaccine maker releasing information on the jab to the World Health Organisation.

The Macclesfield protest, which was organised by democratic social justice organisation Global Justice Now, lasted over three hours at the AstraZeneca Charter Way premises.

There was a large police and security presence. However, Macclesfield Nub News gained access to the protest.

"We are really concerned and angry about the apartheid in who has vaccines, and who doesn't have vaccines around the world", said Nick Dearden (46) Director of Global Justice Now.

"We're here because although AstraZeneca might like to portray themselves as the good guys in rolling out vaccines, and while certainly it is true they are not charging a profit currently during the pandemic, they will be making a profit of these vaccines in the year to come.

"We think it is wrong that AstraZeneca should hold the monopoly on this vaccine two decades into the future, and in effect therefore decides who is allowed to produce this vaccine and who isn't. And therefore by implication, who lives and who dies.

"I think the horrific scenes in India show we simply aren't producing enough of these vaccines to get a jab in every arm in the world. That could change if the intellectual property rights weren't held by a small number of big corporations."

The socially-distanced and mask-wearing crowd gathered at both Macclesfield and Cambridge AstraZeneca locations today.

This was because the AstraZeneca Annual General Meeting was held today. It is unknown if the topic of vaccine patents was discussed.

Stephen, a protestor who was wearing a 'fat cat' mask to represent his views on the company, had this to say to AstraZeneca:

"A people's vaccine is a hashtag to say there should be vaccines available for everybody, everywhere.

"97% of the funding for this project has come from the public or charitable causes. Do the honest thing AstraZeneca and share it."

US President Joe Biden announced his support of the waiving of vaccine patterns last week. Our Prime Minister Boris Johnson is yet to do the same, but protestors hope he will.

It is thought by releasing the vaccine patent and information with the World Health Organisation, companies from around the world can manufacture the best vaccine possible to solve the current vaccine shortages and geographic discrepancies.

Mr Dearden added: "AstraZeneca have boycotted the World Health Organisation body which was set up precisely to pool and share the technology behind these vaccines. There is no reason that factories around the world should want to produce these vaccines but they can't at the moment."

"But we are also here to put pressure on the government. The British government is now one of the leading causes standing in the way of that waiver, putting corporate profits ahead of people's lives.

"And so as well as saying to AstraZeneca, share the knowhow and technology behind this vaccine, we are also saying to the British government you are an obstacle. Get out the way to waiving these patents allow us to immunise the whole world as fast as possible."

AstraZeneca have been contacted for comment.

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