90 Arrested in Action to Protest Guantanamo in DC

[roody]

90 Arrested in Action Inside U.S. Federal District Court in D.C., Hundreds March Through Captiol Hill
http://www.witnesstorture.org/node/571

Hundreds marched through the streets of D.C. today, winding a path from the Capitol to the Supreme Court and ending at the U.S. Federal District Court House. Throughout the morning other activists entered the court house to file Habeas Corpus petitions and await the presentation of the prisoners.

< WAT photo gallery | Reuters photo gallery >

After filing a motion with the Chief Judge of the Federal Court, activists gathered inside the atrium of the court house and began reading the litany of prisoners. Many dropped banners reading "Shut Down Guantanamo" from the balconies overlooking the atrium. The activists were then ordered to leave and arrested.

The action inside of the court house was complimented by a multi stage march of 200 men and women in hoods and orange jumpsuits, representing the prisoners of Guantanamo. They were joined by 300 supporters as they marched solemnly to the Supreme Court, where a prisoner account was read, and then to the U.S. Federal District Court, where 40 people representing detainees tried to enter the court house for their day in court. The 40 detainees were denied access and proceeded to block the entrance to the building, which they held for several hours. The rally that unfolded in support of them included a reading of the litany of Guantanamo prisoners, a puppet show and a demonstration of water boarding.

The protest was organized by Witness Against Torture, a group of Christians that marched to Guantanamo and held a vigil in December 2005. There were over 100 protests held throughout the world to mark today, the 5th anniversary of the first arrival of prisoners to Guantanamo.

[valerief]

1. Wow. Bravo for them. I hope the arrested are not mistreated. nt

[specimenfred1984]

10. They'll likely be "Boss Hogtied"

tied up for 24 hours, denied medications, kept in cold cells or outdoors on a bus: it's SOP for D.C. pigs.

http://www.why-war.com/news/2003/01/17/bosshogt.html

[Robbien]

2. Very impressive.

And people say Americans are not protesting in the streets. The people are,,,it is just not getting media attention.

This Gitmo protest sounds great.

:thumbsup:

[Say_What]

3. Very little about this in MSM, surprise!! NOT!!!

From the article:

... The action inside of the court house was complimented by a multi stage march of 200 men and women in hoods and orange jumpsuits, representing the prisoners of Guantanamo. They were joined by 300 supporters as they marched solemnly to the Supreme Court, where a prisoner account was read, and then to the U.S. Federal District Court, where 40 people representing detainees tried to enter the court house for their day in court. The 40 detainees were denied access and proceeded to block the entrance to the building, which they held for several hours. The rally that unfolded in support of them included a reading of the litany of Guantanamo prisoners, a puppet show and a demonstration of water boarding.

The protest was organized by Witness Against Torture, a group of Christians that marched to Guantanamo and held a vigil in December 2005. There were over 100 protests held throughout the world to mark today, the 5th anniversary of the first arrival of prisoners to Guantanamo.

[Say_What]

4. Guardian: Guantanamo Protesters Arrested in D.C.

Whitewashed version from MSM.

<clips>

...The group - which had a permit for a demonstration outside the courthouse - began singing and chanting as they were led away in small groups, their hands bound by plastic cuffs.

Demonstrators made their way into the courthouse through a side entrance where they passed through metal detectors and were cleared by security screeners. The protesters gathered in an atrium where they began reading poetry and singing songs.

Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas Hogan ordered U.S. marshals to allow the group to gather peacefully. An aide said it was the first time such a demonstration had occurred inside the courthouse.

The arrests were triggered when the demonstrators violated rules laid down by U.S. Marshal George Walsh and continued wearing bright orange T-shirts and waving signs bearing slogans like ``Stop Torture'' and ``Shut Down Guantanamo.''

Walsh said the demonstrators would be cited, then released. Charges would be decided by federal prosecutors.

``They were going to be given a chance to be private citizens discussing something in the courthouse, but once you put the signs up it becomes something else,'' Walsh said.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6339360,00.html

[IndianaGreen]

5. Once they "put up the signs" it is still free speech

There a mass antiwar actions planned across the country this month. We ain't seen nothing yet!

[aaronbees]

6. That's a powerful protest ...

Great work!

[Ghost Dog]

7. k&r. We need to see many more such protests.

[roody]

8. Friday is a good day to protest.

Get out there after work!

[Tuesday_Morning]

9. In Miami area...

Protesters in Doral condemn Guantánamo Bay
BY LAURA FIGUEROA

In orange jumpsuits and black hoods, roughly 20 people staged a protest Thursday morning in Doral, calling for the closure of the U.S. detention center at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.

The protesters were a local link in national demonstrations to mark the fifth anniversary of the arrival of the first suspected terrorists at the U.S. naval base. They waved signs that read ''Torture is not an American value'' and ''Fair Trials for All'' -- and got honks, beeps and thumbs-up of support from passing motorists.

The demonstrators chose the site in Doral because it is near the Pentagon's Southern Command, headquarters for U.S. military operations in Latin America and the Caribbean, which oversees the Guantánamo detention center.

''Why don't they put that facility here instead of so far away?'' Linda Belgrave with Miami for Peace asked. `Because they know Americans will be just as upset with the treatment of the prisoners as they were when they heard about the Abu Ghraib prisoners .''

more at link: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/16441459.htm

[roody]

11. cool photos here

found linked at Michael Moore http://news.search.yahoo.com/news/search?p=guantanamo+bay+washington&c=news_photos