[Peace-discuss] Witness Against Torture - Activists Occupy National Museum of American History — Install Torture Exhibit to Mark Guantánamo Anniversary

[Stuart Levy]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	[ufpj-activist] Activists Occupy National Museum of American 
History — Install Torture Exhibit to Mark Guantánamo Anniversary
Date: 	Sat, 11 Jan 2014 18:53:41 -0500
From: 	Matthew W. Daloisio <daloisio at riseup.net>
To: 	ufpj-activist <ufpj-activist at lists.mayfirst.org>



  Activists Occupy National Museum of American History ? Install Torture
  Exhibit to Mark Guantánamo Anniversary

Saturday, January 11, 2014: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS CONTACTS:
Jeremy Varon, 732-979-3119 <tel:732-979-3119>, jvaron at aol.com
<mailto:jvaron at aol.com>Frida Berrigan, 860-389-8566 <tel:860-389-8566>, 
frida.berrigan at gmail.com <mailto:frida.berrigan at gmail.com>

Museum Atrium 
<http://witnesstorture.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/1-11-14-wide.jpg>

Vowing to ?Make Guantanamo History,? human rights advocates from around 
the country marked the beginning of the thirteenth year of torture and 
indefinite detention at the prison camp with a dramatic protest at the 
National Museum of American History. 150 activists occupied the atrium 
of the crowded museum for more than two hours, speaking out against 
torture and calling for Guantanamo to close.

The activists hung banners, stood in stress positions in hoods and 
jumpsuits, spoke to the tourists, and with their bodies and voices 
revised the museum?s ?Price of Freedom? exhibit to include twelve years 
of torture and indefinite detention as the bitter cost of the United 
States? misguided pursuit of ?national security.?

In a booming chorus, members of Witness Against Torture and other groups 
read from a statement that**closed with the lines: ?to honor freedom and 
justice and the struggles of Americans for these things, we must end 
torture, close the prison and make Guantanamo history.?

Chantal deAlcuaz, a Witness Against Torture activist from Anchorage, 
Alaska spent the two hours in an orange jumpsuit and black hood. She 
reflected that: ?We came here today because we want to see Guantanamo 
relegated to a museum ? to be shuttered and condemned, but also 
understood as an example of where fear, hatred and violence can take us.?

The museum protest followed a robust and spirited rally at the White 
House that featured speeches from grassroots activists, Guantanamo 
attorneys and representatives of national human rights organizations.

?It was so great to see the spirit of hope at the White House, in the 
streets of DC and at the museum,? said Chris Knestrick, a divinity 
student form Chicago. ?We definitely moved closer to our goal of closing 
Guantanamo today. And the work will continue!!?

Since Monday, January 6, Witness Against Torture activists from 
throughout the country have gathered in Washington, D.C. to engage in 
street theater, demonstrations, fasting and direct action to demand that 
Guantanamo be closed immediately.  There were also anti-Guantanamo 
protests and vigils throughout the country, including in Los Angeles, 
CA, Boston MA, Chicago IL, Santa Monica, CA Erie, PA, and Cleveland, OH.

*Witness Against Torture* is a grassroots movement that came into being 
in December 2005 when 24 activists walked to Guantanamo to visit the 
prisoners and condemn torture policies. Since then, it has engaged in 
public education, community outreach, and non-violent direct action. 
January 2014 is the eighth year the group has gathered annually in 
Washington, DC to call for justice and accountability. To learn more, 
visit www.witnesstorture.org 
<http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.witnesstorture.org%2F&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNEehDyK1ELu5R52qU8hdMLd6zRoHQ>



-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.chambana.net/pipermail/peace-discuss/attachments/20140111/604a1747/attachment-0001.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 97133 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://lists.chambana.net/pipermail/peace-discuss/attachments/20140111/604a1747/attachment-0004.jpe>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Make Guantanamo History
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 128963 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://lists.chambana.net/pipermail/peace-discuss/attachments/20140111/604a1747/attachment-0005.jpe>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Star Spangled Banner
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 196815 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://lists.chambana.net/pipermail/peace-discuss/attachments/20140111/604a1747/attachment-0006.jpe>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: The Price of Freedom
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 176002 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://lists.chambana.net/pipermail/peace-discuss/attachments/20140111/604a1747/attachment-0007.jpe>
-------------- next part --------------
_______________________________________________
ufpj-activist mailing list

Post: ufpj-activist at lists.mayfirst.org
List info: https://lists.mayfirst.org/mailman/listinfo/ufpj-activist

To Unsubscribe
        Send email to:  ufpj-activist-unsubscribe at lists.mayfirst.org
        Or visit: https://lists.mayfirst.org/mailman/options/ufpj-activist/slevy%40ncsa.uiuc.edu

You are subscribed as: slevy at ncsa.uiuc.edu