National - Event Notice
Thursday January 01 1970

Guantanamo 5th Anniversary Vigil

national | crime and justice | event notice

Friday January 05, 2007 02:17

by Robbie

robbiesin at gmail dot com

087-9166890

Thurs Ja 11th 2007, 4:30-6pm at US Embassy

Thurs Jan 11th marks the 5th anniversary of the first victims of Guantanamo prison camp, and people from all over Ireland will be holding a vigil at the US Embassy in Ballsbridge, Dublin, between 4:30-6pm to demonstrate our strong feelings towards inhuman acts by the US government, and to express our concerns and shame that the Irish government has turned a blind eye to CIA flights going through Irish airports.

We should have some spare props, but people are encouraged to make/bring their own to add to the colour and diversity.

On January 3rd 2007, the most recent evidence of Human Rights abuses at Guantanamo were disclosed by the American Civil Liberties Union, on, on behlaf of former detainees of the illegal prison-camp, managed to get the FBI to release a survey of its own members. In this internal survey of 500 FBI agents, 26 had witnessed prisoners being abused during interrogations, and much more evidence of long-term abuses was documented by others.
http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2006/s1821278.htm

The US government still denies that torture is practiced in Guantanamo, despite Dick Cheney (vice-president) implying that 'waterboarding' was common (obvious) three months ago.

The Irish government is unlikely to make representations with regard to these Human Rights abuses: it claims to be against illegal flights known as 'extraordinary rendition', but did not take any action against the gardaí for not investigating suspicious flights that went through Shannon and perhaps, Baldonnel airports. The gardaí, instead, focussed their supposedly meagre resources on those who were gathering data - data which was to be used by Human Rights Watch and the European Parliament in investigations into CIA activities in Europe.

Rather than let the US government continue with the conceit that Ireland is a soft-touch on Human Rights and conscience, a good turn-out by any nationalities, religions, politicos and ordinaries like such as ourselves, should do something to preserve our collective dignity and conscience.

Vigils will also be held in the following places...cehck www.witnesstorture.org for updates and background....
Amsterdam, Holland
Bahrain
Boise, Idaho
Chicago, Illinois
Corvallis, Oregon
Duluth, Minnesota,
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
Humboldt County, CA
London, UK
Managua, Nicaragua
Miami, Florida
New Haven, CT
New York City, NY
Philadelphia, PA
Pittsburgh, PA
San Francisco, CA,
Saratoga Springs, NY
Sydney, Australia
Syracuse, New York.

Time in Ireland, once again
4:3--6pm. Thurs Jan 11th outside US Embassy, Ballsbridge.

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AUDIO LINK-David Rovic's "Guantanamo Bay"

by fan

Mon Jan 08, 2007 17:32

http://www.soundclick.com/pro/view/01/default.cfm?bandi...=song

Report from Warsaw/Poland Anti-Gitmo Action

by Damien Moran

Mon Jan 08, 2007 17:36

Warsaw/Polska

Approximately 40 people from various anarchist groups, including the Warsaw Anarchist Federation, Anarchist Black Cross, and the Pupil's Initiative gathered at the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw at 12 noon on Saturday January 6th (I know, 5 days early!) in solidarity with the International campaign to Shut Down Guantanamo.

5 activists dressed in orange overalls ( and with sensory depriving blackened goggles, face masks, ear muffs) acted as the prisoners, 1 person acted as CIA torturer of the month while another 'US soldier' co-ordinated their sadistic practices - in addition to this, a short street theatre action was staged with 2 young anarchists playing 2 acts:

1) Warsaw 1943: A German interrogator with a Warsaw citizen/resister who is being tortured, beaten, killed;

then

2) Guantanamo 2007: A U.S. interrogator and unknown Guan. detainee who is being tortured, beaten, killed.

A narrator conveyed the similarities in tactics/ideologies applied by the respective repressive regimes .

We had a banner 'End State Terrorism' and 10 placards with prisoners' names, photos, arrest dates and places of arrest under the title, 'Guantanamo Torture Victim'. A number of other placards depicted the tragically well-known photos of the torture methods used in Abu-Ghraib and other military brigs.

After our CIA candidate rounded up and black-hooded 5 spectator/participants and made them stand in stress positions, etc. we walked a 1/2 kilometre to the Polish Ministry of Defence at 12.45pm past the British embassy, Ministry of Justice and Prime Minister's office. When we eventually reached the Ministry the 5 prisoners lined up once again holding placards of Guan. inmates while Polish complicity in the extraordinary rendition programme and it's facilitation through Szymany airport, assistance in the War on Terror through troop deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan was addressed by speakers.

The ever reliant Food Not Bombs crew then served us a beautiful soup to revive our drooping body temperatures. The weather was miserably damp and cold.
Finally, we headed to our local anarchist Infoshop where we showed the documentary 'Gitmo' with Polish dubbing to about 15 people.

The mainstream newspapers' websites have done lengthy reports of the action and as all lazy journalists like to do, they took long extracts from our press release:)) We expect that the Monday print editions will carry reports of the action. An internet poll on whether Guantanamo should be closed down is currently at Yes, 57%; No, 37%: No opinion, 6%.
The poll can be followed here:
http://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/1,53600,3833060.html

You can find them pictures of the action at
http://poland.indymedia.org/pl/2007/01/25570.shtml
http://cia.bzzz.net/zamknac_guantanamo_6_stycznia_2007

URGENT - CHANGE OF TIME 12noon to 2pm

by Justin Morahan - Peace People

Mon Jan 08, 2007 20:37

Robbie has sanctioned a change of time for this event. It will be at the earlier time of 12.00 noon to 2.00pm. (He has no access to a computer at present.)

Friends in Cosantóirí Síochána, AWI, IAWM, Pax Christi, Unmanageables and all others (apologies for non-mention - in haste) please note and change your own adverts accordingly.

Apologies for any inconvenience.

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Guantanamo 5th Anniversary Vigil

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