Anti-torture activists demand closure of Gitmo on 14th anniversary of its opening
On the 11th of January, activists marked another year of prisoners being held without charge or trial at Guantanimo Bay, One detainee was released that morning, bringing the total number of men still buried alive at Gitmo to 103. This includes 44 (maybe 43 now) men "cleared for release" years ago but still held under conditions so bad many detainees have said they would prefer death to remaining at Gitmo.Obama has one year left to fulfill his oath to close Guantanimo Bay. Congress is but an excuse, a threat to pardon all remaining detainees would easily force Congress to enact any other plan the President put forth.
Guantanimo Bay opened for the business of torture and indefinite detention on Jan 11, 2002. President Barrack Obama promised to close it down before he ever took office,that was seven years ago. On Jan 11, 2016 Gitmo is still open and once again protesters mark this inhuman anniversary.
The Jan 11, 2016 protest began with a march to the White House from 4th and D sts near the Federal Courthouse. At the White House they demanded that all remaining detainees be sent home and staged a ceremony symbolizing detainees returning to their homes. Afterwards came a surprise: protesters advanced to the White House sidewalk and staged a civil disobedience. For over an hour they stood their ground in the "no-protest" area of the White House sidewalk. Due to the high political cost of arrests over Guantanimo Bay, police refused to arrest them. They finally withdrew after an hour and a quarter of protest and defiance.
n the UK there was a protest at the US Embassy be five former Guantanimo detainees.Still other protests took place in other cities where Guantanimo detainees have been resettled. Since they are being refused admission into the US, none were able to speak in front of the White House, home of known oathbreaker Barrack Obama.
