Last week, I was in Washington D.C., attending events to mark the 10th anniversary of the opening of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, as part of a 12-day US tour organized by some of my great friends in the US — the activists of The World Can’t Wait, and their national director Debra Sweet, who is largely responsible for making sure that I don’t get lost, that I can find coffee when I need it, and that I don’t get too much sleep! — as well as being a tireless campaigner for justice.
Starting at about 2:30pm Central Time today, watch discussion streamed live from Chicago's Loyola Law School with journalist Andy Worthington (author of The Guantánamo Files), Guantánamo attorneys Candace Gorman and Len Goodman and Debra Sweet, Director of The World Can't Wait. Ustream link.
Yesterday in Washington, we massed in front of all 3 branches of the government reported to represent "freedom and democracy for all." About 800 of us marched from the White House, past the Department of Justice, and stood in front of the Supreme Court, opposite the Capitol. Amnesty International brought a lot of students.
I was thinking most of the prisoners still in Guantánamo, where no one has been released for more than a year (except in coffins). They began a political protest and some went on hunger strike for 3 days, beginning Tuesday, in solidarity with our actions. Their lawyers brought us the message that they take heart from what we do. Imagine, if you can, what it must be like to have been held for up to 10 years - perhaps being told you can be released - but still sitting there year after year. See Andy Worthington's article, below.
This article is excerpted from one that originally appeared on the blog Mibba
The "close Gitmo" protest that San Francisco did today was very moving. January 11, 2012 is exactly ten years since GuantanamoBay opened up. Every year on January 11, people across America protest Gitmo in a variety of ways.
In Washington D.C, a group called Witness Against Torture has been fasting in solidarity with Gitmo detainees for ten days now. This group has also has a "caged vigil" going on in front of the White House. A protester who is also fasting has been locked in a cage since this protest began.
