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Technorati62 Arrested at White House in Guantanamo Demonstration
62 Americans, dressed in the orange jumpsuits and black hoods that have become the symbol of Guantanamo detainees, were arrested in front of the White House in a nonviolent demonstration this afternoon.
The demonstrators each had the name of a detainee stenciled on the back of the jumpsuit. 55 of the detainees represented were cleared for release by the Bush administration but not released; an additional 5 died at the prison.
This event capped the 100 Days Campaign to Close Guantanamo and End Torture, which pressured President Obama to close the prison and end America's policies of torture and indefinite detention within his first 100 days in office.
The day began with a march from the Capitol to the White House, organized by Witness Against Torture, Amnesty International, TASSC, and other groups.
See also: Photos from today's action and past days
Statement: Justice Delayed is Justice Denied: Accountability, Torture, and the Obama Administration
16 Comments so far
Show AllNow we know what the Obomba Administration does to Amnesty International's people.
I'll send more of my pensioner's mite to Amnestyusa.org - it's for our children!
I thank the demonstrators for stepping up.
I wish I could personally thank the demonstrators for speaking truth to power and putting their butts on the line.
Obama waffles on torture; betrays America. The country needs a complete investigation and vigorous prosecution of all parties involved in "officially sanctioned" torture.
Obama is talking newspeak. The fact that there was admitted official sanction of torture by Bush Cheney et al is dangerous to people's rights. Left unprosecuted, these crimes send a strong message to brutal soldiers and cops everywhere:
"See, it's okay to be brutal and sadistic...the true patriots Bush and Cheney said so, and nothing happened to them. Just follow your orders. Fire up the tasers boys, lets go to town."
So we arrest people for protesting the torture and murder of people being unlawfully detained and denied their rights under domestic and international law, but keep the people who committed the crimes in positions of authority, on the government payroll, and promise immunity. Makes sense to Obama, obviously, but not to me.
well, cos that's because you are a thoughtful, caring person..............
Anti-torture activists march to White House
Hundreds of anti-torture activists have marched in Washington D.C, denouncing the US government's refusal to prosecute CIA agents accused of torture.
http://www.presstv.ir/sections.aspx?section=3510203
good work.
sadly, after doing a quick sourcing for news coverage, all I found was a few sources. Huffpost, CD, WAPO, AP.... Hopefully their work will make more news heading into the weekend as more bloggers feed
Close Gitmo and Bagram then end Afghanistan occupation
Close 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
best suggestion yet...................
Congratulations to my homeland. We can now seriously claim 62 patriots!
The First Amendment to the Constitution reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
When we accept the government's (Federal, State or Local) requirement as to time and place to protest or demonstrate. When we agree to demonstrate only far from where the demonstration needs to take place; when we agree to limit the scope of our grievances to avoid embarrassing the officials we are trying to wake up, then we are voluntarily giving up that First Amendment right.
What is not understood by most people is that the Bill of Rights does not give us permission to exercise the Rights of Man, it FORBIDS THE GOVERNMENT FROM INTERFERING! Read the Bill of Rights, read the Constitution. Then look at what the government has usurped with its misnamed PATRIOT ACT and the other acts of similar ilk that illegally cancel out the Constitution and its first ten amendments.
When We the People cannot stand in front of the White House and make our grievances known, we might as well be demonstrating in front of the Reichstag in 1930's Germany. The results will ultimately be the same.
Go public!! peaceful protest wins .
...wins you a stay in the local jail for a few days, and nothing changes. What this country needs is a REAL revolt to instill some fear into the lying, thieving, murdering pricks, not wimpy sign-carriers.
So Seditious, What have you done lately?
I hope you are not advocating a violent revolt because only a fool still believes that the ends justify the means.
That is precisely the ignorant justification being put forth by our mostly criminal government and mostly criminal main stream media for the torture that these brave Truth warriors are fighting against.
Violence begets violence period. No question about it!
Now if you want to talk revolt. Then get in line behind those sacrificing for Truth and Justice and get yourself arrested.
Can you imagine if all the posters on CD and all the others in our country who abhor the actions of the past and current administrations would go to jail a few times for NONVIOLENTLY shutting down Washington DC or their own city streets.