WASHINGTON - January 9 - Amnesty International and other organizations are organizing demonstrations around the world to mark the 10th anniversary of the arrival of the first detainees at Guantánamo Bay; activists will urge President Obama to keep his promise and close the U.S.-controlled detention facility.  

There will be events in Paris, Toronto, London, Brussels and Berlin, among others. In Washington, DC, there will be a marquee demonstration sponsored by Amnesty International USA, Center for Constitutional Rights, National Religious Campaign Against Torture and Witness Against Torture at Lafayette Park at 12 p.m. on Wednesday, January 11, 2012.  

Speakers at the rally include Colonel Morris Davis, who previously served as the chief prosecutor for the office of military commissions at Guantánamo Bay, Talat Hamdani, mother of Salman Hamdani, an emergency medical technician who died in the September 11, 2001, and Ramzi Kassem, an attorney who represents Guantanamo and Bagram detainees.

After the demonstration, participants will march down Pennsylvania Avenue and hold protests at the Department of Justice, the Capitol and the Supreme Court to dramatically demonstrate the chain of responsibility for a detention center that remains a symbol of torture and ill-treatment. Marchers will be led by 171 people in orange jumpsuits and black hoods, representing the men still detained at Guantánamo, a figure that may increase due to the detention provisions in the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), recently signed by President Obama.

In addition, Tom Parker, Amnesty International USA policy director for (counter) terrorism and human rights, is available to the media to provide in-depth analysis and strategic insights into the 10th anniversary of Guantánamo and the impact of the recent passage of the NDAA.

What: Demonstration to protest 10th anniversary of the opening of the Guantánamo Bay prison
Date: Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Time: Rally at 12:00 p.m., demonstration at 1:00 p.m.
Location: Lafayette Park, Pennsylvania Ave. and Jackson Place, NW, Washington, DC