2016-01-11
by
Eleanor Goldfield
Today across the country and indeed the world, activists protested the continued operation of the torture site Guantanamo. This is the 14th year it’s been open and 7 years past when Obama promised he would have it closed forever. 47 of the 107 prisoners have been cleared for release but remain there, many in solitary confinement and most with severe health problems caused by malnutrition, psychological distress and of course, physical torture.
At the rally here in Washington DC, protestors gathered outside the White House dressed in the orange jumpsuits and black bags that have become synonymous with the US’s war on terror and our long list of human rights violations. Activists read statements from prisoners still in Guantanamo, poets performed spoken word pieces and singers sang songs of freedom and justice. At the end, activists organized a traditional homecoming meal to represent the call to bring the innocent back home.
Some of the organizations involved in this event were Witness Against Torture, World Can’t Wait , Amnesty International USA , Bill of Rights Defense Committee – Defending Dissent Foundation , Council on American-Islamic Relations , CloseGuantanamo.org and CodePink .
Please feel free to spread and share these images. Credit Eleanor Goldfield/Art Killing Apathy.
Homecoming ceremony