From the Archive
MAY 23, 2014 Global Call to Close Guantánamo Review
Written by Palina Prasasouk
On the weekend of March 21, 2014 members of Witness Against Torture gathered in Baltimore for a strategic planning retreat. One of the ideas that came from the planning was the upcoming one year anniversary of President Obama’s National Defense Speech where he renewed his promise to close Guantanamo Bay Prison.
He said, “Today, I once again call on Congress to lift the restrictions on detainee transfers from Gitmo…But once we commit to a process of closing Gitmo, I am confident that this legacy problem can be resolved, consistent with our commitment to the rule of law…Look at the current situation, where we are force-feeding detainees who are — being held on a hunger strike…Is that who we are? Is that something our founders foresaw? Is that the America we want to leave our children? Our sense of justice is stronger than that.”
An organizing team of less than 10 started writing letters to human rights groups and local communities to participate in a global event to take place on May 23. The idea was to get people back on to the streets in order to get Guantanamo back into conversation and media. A new toolkit containing: a Call to Action and Press Release template written with Amnesty International, images for posters including artwork by Australian artist Jeremy Saunders, poems and letters from detainees, songs by Peace Poet Luke Nephew, and a social media strategy was made available through our web site. T-shirts, jumpsuits, and banners painted by artist, Deb VanPoolen were also mailed.
From there, human rights groups were endorsing the Call to Action and communities began meeting together weekly to plan demonstrations. A total of 34 human rights groups and 50 cities in 8 countries held events across the world spanning from Mexico City, Munich, 4 cities in California, Portland, Indiana, Chicago, Oklahoma City, Dallas, Raleigh, DC, NYC, and Toronto. We will be meeting again on June 26, 2014, International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. in DC to plan more actions.
365 days after President Obama’s second promise to close Guantanamo:
- There are currently 154 detainees
- 79 are cleared for release
- The longest running hunger strike continues at 467 days
- Up to 40 men are are on hunger strike
- 19 are being force-fed
- 12 have been released from the prison
Amherst, Massachusetts
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Five people stood in front of the Federal Courthouse at noon.
Albany, New York
About 20 people held a silent vigil and march from uptown to the federal courthouse.
Press coverage:
Baltimore
Press coverage:
Baltimore Examiner / Bill Hughes / “President Obama keep your word: Close Guantanamo Bay prison”
Video from Bill Hughes:
Boston
Press coverage:
Open Media Boston / Jonathan Adams / “Activists call on Pres. Obama close Guantanamo, end torture” The A-Infos Radio Project / “Shut Down Guantanamo, Boston”
Bozeman, Montana
In front of the courthouse.
Buffalo, New York
“After the press circus in court hearing in which a Buffalo police officer was accused of covering up the evidence of a violent attack Campaign to Free Innocent Man Terrell D. Hales joins others who are advocating for reform of criminality in the courts and the prisons.” – MaryAnne Coyle
“We had 13 silent vigilers in front of the Buffalo City Hall and Federal Court Building from Noon to 1. This included 4 vigilers from a local Free Terrell D. Hales movement, a man who has been unjustly incarcerated many years, we stood in solidarity with. It was a cold chilly wind off Lake Erie.” – Tom Casey
Chicago, Illinois
About 50 people in Chicago marched down Michigan Avenue with allied groups. They prepared a mic check, leafleted and read poems. They also dropped a banner over the Chicago River.
More photos and coverage of the day at:
Chicago Coalition to Shut Down Guantanamo
Cleveland, Ohio
The Catholic Workers Cleveland in front of the Federal Courthouse. Later that evening they screened a film.
Erie, Pennsylvania
Pre-dawn banner drop and p.m. vigil
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Photos from Tackling Torture at the Top!
Montclair, New Jersey
New York City, New York
Video by Palina Prasasouk
About 100 activists from Witness Against Torture, The Center for Constitutional Rights, World Can’t Wait, The Blue Lantern Project, Amnesty International, The War Resisters League, 9/11 Families of Peaceful Tomorrows and students stood outside the Navy Recruitment Center in Times Square chanting a mic check prepared by the Blue Lantern Project’s, Luke Nephew and Witness Against Torture’s Jeremy Varon. A transcript of the mic check is included in the video above.
World Can’t Wait Director, Deb Sweet spoke, as did Carmen Trotta of the New City Catholic Worker, followed by a reading of a letter from Moath al-Alwi:
When I choose to remain in my cell in an act of peaceful protest against the force-feeding, the prison authorities send in a Forced Cell Extraction team: six guards in full riot gear. Those guards are deliberately brutal to punish me for my protest. They pile up on top of me to the point that I feel like my back is about to break. They then carry me out and strap me into the restraint chair, which we hunger strikers call the torture chair.
The group then marched to the TKTS steps, a famous tourist attraction where we would ask the same question as President Obama did one year ago, “Is this who we are?”
Indefinite detention, mass incarceration, force-feeding, forever prisoner, torture, solitary confinement, Guantanamo
Pardiss Kebriaei, a Senior Attorney at the Center of Constitutional Rights was present to answer questions from Al-Jazeera.
Ramzi Kassem, a Professor of Law and representative of Shaker Aamer said, “My clients, all men, since 2005, have been extremely grateful, specifically Witness Against Torture, and other organizations for organizing to close Guantanamo. They are very interested in solidarity actions, fascinated by what happens in U.S. And especially grateful when people in U.S. stand in solidarity with them. They are interested in the rolling hunger strikes and the January anniversary events. I have to get past the military censors to get them articles and photos, and I will get them coverage of May 23 events.”
Fliers were also distributed with information on what we can do to help close Guantanamo Bay Prison. On the backs of the fliers was the word, “NO”. The audience participated by holding up their fliers. The rest of the Memorial Day weekend in New York City was spent gathering photos for the #GitmoProblems Photo Campaign.
Photos from Witness Against Torture, M. Stan Reaves, Matthew Daloisio, and Kenny Vena
Press coverage:
RT News “‘Not another broken promise!’ Activists across globe demand Guantanamo closure”
New York Times (blog) “A Trick Play to Close Guantanamo Bay”
The Village Voice ”Protestors Reignited Their Call to Close Gitmo Friday in Front of Times Square Tourists”
War Is a Crime “Global Protests Say Shut Down Guantanamo – End Indefinite Detention”
Northampton, Massachusetts
Rush hour on the Coolidge Bridge over the Connecticut River.
Hufffington Post / Nancy Talanian “Not Another Broken Promise on Guantánamo
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Orange County, California
“In ultra conservative Orange County CA we had at least 20 people which was amazing on a weekday at noo. Mostly positive honks. One former State Senator came by and took some photos. I did not know who he was.” – Dorrine Marshall
Raleigh, North Carolina
About 25 folks gathered outside the federal building where they received coverage from the local news and the AP.
Press coverage: ABC 11 ”PROTESTERS RENEW CALL TO SHUT GUANTANAMO CENTER”
Rochester, New York
A dozen people protesting including a family of 6.
San Francisco, California
“Led by CloseGitmo.net and World Can’t Wait, activists from throughout the Bay Area joined together in San Francisco for the Global Day of Action to Close Guantanamo! A large coalition from Witness Against Torture, Code Pink, Veterans for Peace, Amnesty International, SOA Watch, American Legion Post 315, National Religious Campaign Against Torture, local Friends Meetings, and many others, donned orange jump suits and T-shirts, created a mock jail filled with black hooded prisoners, sang songs, read poems and writings from Gitmo detainees, and engaged several hundred in a powerful witness. The rush hour rally, at San Francisco’s highly visible cable car turnaround, moved many visitors to the City who accepted orange ribbons and postcards detailing the torturous practices of prolonged solitary confinement and forced feedings endured on a daily basis by prisoners in Guantanamo. Many learned for the first time that the majority of the detainees have never been charged, and have been classified as ready for release….and still they remain in GITMO subjected to regular human rights abuses.” – Sherri Maurin (CloseGitmo.net)
Springfield, Massachusetts
At noon, members of Pioneer Valley No More Guantanamos, Witness Against Torture, Code Pink, Arise for Social Justice, American Friends Service Committee of Western Mass., and Grace Episcopal Peace Fellowship from western Mass. processed from the old Federal Building in Springfield to the Federal Courthouse, handing out leaflets and speaking to media. That evening, other local activists held a vigil on the Coolidge Bridge in Northampton. On Saturday, May 24, with Amnesty International of Amherst, they held signs and handed out literature at the Amherst Town Common, while other activists held a vigil in front of the Federal Courthouse in Northampton.
Photos from Jeff Napolitano (AFSC)
Press coverage:
Anders Keitz / WWLP / Protesters in Springfield, Mass., call to close Guantanamo facility
Paul Tuthill / WAMC (New York) / Activists in Springfield, Mass., Rally To Close Guantanamo
Sunnyvale, California
“The monthly witness at Lockheed in Sunnyvale, CA dedicated the May 23rd vigil to making the links between Lockheed’s involvement in training for torture, and the “detainees” at Guantanamo. Catholic Workers and the Pacific Life community were joined by the Raging Grannies and the Vets for Peace “We read poems written by the men being held in Guantanamo and handed out leaflets. The Raging Grannies also led us in a few songs, which were quite meaningful. We welcome you to join us each month in the Lockheed vigil.”
In Peace— Susan Crane (Catholic Worker and PLC) Sherri Maurin (CloseGitmo.net, and VFP Associate Member)
Tiffin, Ohio
“Our own participants learned more about the prisoners at Guantanamo as they listened to readings from detainee poems and letters during our rally in Tiffin, Ohio on the Global Day of Action to Close Guantanamo. Cultivating our own mindfulness of the prisoners’ human dignity helps us form a moral basis for our witness. We’re grateful to the Sisters of St. Francis (Tiffin Franciscans) for coming out to support our rally.
The meaning of “close Guantanamo” could end up being to bring all the prisoners over here where they will be placed in a super max prison and disappear forever, like so many prisoners here. Our banner of a few years ago captured the more complete message: “Release those unjustly bound.” Let’s keep thinking of ways to make our full message heard.” – Jose Setzler
Tuscon, Arizona
Washington, DC
A coalition human rights groups including Amnesty International, Codepink, the National Religious Campaign, Pax Christi USA, Franciscan Action Network and Interfaith Action for Human Rights joined the Dorothy Day Catholic Workers in front of the White House during their regular noon vigil to cal on President Obama to make good on his promise.
Helen Schietinger spoke for Witness Against Torture. Here is what she said:
In 2005 25 people, mostly from Catholic Worker communities, went to Cuba and walked to the gates of Guantanamo Naval Base to visit the prisoners being held there. When refused entrance, they held a 3-day vigil, fasting and praying for the detainees outside the prison gates.
From that initial action, Witness Against Torture was born.
Lawyers for the men detained in Guantanamo tell us that they are surprised and elated to learn that Americans are witnessing in solidarity with them. The detainees don’t believe any of the promises made by the U.S. government. They know that the words “Cleared for release” and “We don’t torture here” have no meaning. What gives them the most hope is that some Americans are speaking out for them.
We can’t stop until the government no longer unjustly incarcerates people without due process — in Guantanamo, in black sites, in immigration detention centers, AND in U.S. prisons.
We can’t stop until we know that NOBODY in U.S. custody is being treated inhumanely or tortured. We will only know this when third-party observers are given full access to all prison facilities.
And we can’t stop until our government no longer uses drones to assassinate people they would have locked up. Now they’re killing rather than capturing and imprisoning alleged enemies because they know that people like Medea Benjamin of Code Pink will embarrass President Obama when he makes false promises about Guantanamo. They know that groups like Witness Against Torture will don orange jump suits and occupy museums to shine the light on this shameful chapter in American history.
As people of conscience we must all continue to stand in solidarity with those who are jailed unjustly, tortured, or murdered outside the rule of law by the U.S.
I thank each of you for what you do. We’re all in this together.
Photos from Ted Majdosz Photos from NRCAT
Press coverage: Huffington Post Op-ed / Rev. Ron Stief “Time to Close Guantanamo — Not One More Day”
Getty Images / Chip Somodevilla / “ Activists Rally At White House To Protest Guantanamo Bay Prison”
The Daily Star / “Protest at White House demands Guantanamo closure”
Worcester, Massachusetts
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