Anti-torture Protest at the Fed Courthouse in Minneapolis; Fasting, orange Jumpsuits and Condi

[annm4peace]

Although there was only about 12-15 of us,, about 10 were there 6am to 6pm in the heat and in their jumpsuits.
Over 400 people joined us for the 24 hr fast on Facebook.

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http://silencedmajority.blogs.com/silenced_majority_portal/2010/08/antitorture-protest-at-the-courthouse-in-minneapolis.html


To mark the eighth anniversary of the signing of the “torture memos,” Coleen Rowley, Sue Skog and Steve Clemens have set up a “24 hour Fast Against Torture.” A Facebook page is here (where readers can sign up to take part, anywhere in the world), an article by Coleen on the Huffington Post is here, and, on FireDogLake, blogger youmayberight explained:

August 1 is the eighth anniversary of the John Yoo/Jay Bybee torture memos. Eight is enough! Join the 24-hour Fast Against Torture beginning at 6:00 p.m. that day. Go to your local federal building on Monday, August 2, for whatever time you can, to demand accountability. We in Minneapolis are having a 12-hour vigil that day. Call the U.S. Attorney in your area and ask: With all the allegations and confessions of torture from high government officials, why has no one ever been prosecuted for it? (The only person ever prosecuted under the Federal Torture Statute was Chuckie Taylor, and that was for torture done for the country of Liberia.) Contact President Obama and Attorney General Holder. Write a letter. Wear an “8” on your forehead on Aug. 1-2. Help us create a climate of accountability. Accountability is the ultimate in anti-war work. Let’s prevent the wars of future decades; they need not be inevitable.

I joined the group at about 4 pm and took some photos that I posted below. I talked briefly with Coleen who told me the US is culturally somewhere between Huxley's Brave New World and Orwell's 1984. I agree with her and there is new evidence about government surveillance of its citizens. It works in realtime on the live web. This post could be flagged by it.

There is a photo below of Coleen wearing a hood and holding a sign showing Condoleeza Rice, the first known Bush administration official to approve waterboarding (AP). We also have a local connection to the torture memos. Law Professor Delahunty, University of St Thomas, co-authored the torture memos for the Bush administation and gave the legal cover for abandoning the Geneva Convention. Local activists, including my friend Roger, have protested Delahunty's public appearances, including graduation ceremonies at St Thomas.

http://silencedmajority.blogs.com/.a/6a00d834520b4b69e20133f2cf7e0c970b-pi

http://silencedmajority.blogs.com/.a/6a00d834520b4b69e2013485f30776970c-pi

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http://silencedmajority.blogs.com/.a/6a00d834520b4b69e2013485f31026970c-500wi