Exactly One Year After President Obama Recommitted to Close Down the Detention Facility, Activists Will Protest in 40+ Cities in Six Countries Against the Lack of Progress on Detainee Transfers
Contact: Gabe Cahn, West End Strategy Team, [email protected], 202.776.7700, c: 202.412.1678 @AIUSAmedia
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – On Friday, May 23, one year after President Obama once again made the case for closing the detention facility at Guantánamo Bay in a speech at National Defense University, Amnesty International, the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, Witness Against Torture and other groups are banding together in Washington as part of a Global Day of Action to Close Guantánamo and End Indefinite Detention.
Groups are calling on President Obama to transfer the dozens of cleared detainees, including those from Yemen, and make good on his commitment to close the detention facility this year.
The President’s pledge last May came amidst a mass hunger strike by men protesting their indefinite detention. Since then only a handful of detainees have been transferred despite Congress’ decision to ease restrictions on such transfers.
Activists will be making speeches and wearing orange jumpsuits representing detainees as part of photogenic demonstrations in 35 cities around the world, including in front of the White House.
WHERE: Lafayette Square in front of the White House
WHEN: 11:00 a.m., Friday, May 23, 2014
WHO: Dozens of human rights activists and Guantanamo experts
WHAT: Global Day of Action to Close Guantánamo & End Indefinite Detention
The public can take part by attending a rally, signing a petition, calling their elected officials and tweeting at President Obama and the @WhiteHouse.
The May 23rd Day of Action is coordinated by a coalition of groups committed to ending human rights violations at Guantánamo including: Amnesty International, Center for Constitutional Rights, CodePink, Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) National, CAIR Maryland, Dorothy Day Catholic Worker, Interfaith Action for Human Rights, Franciscan Action Network, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, Methodist Federation for Social Action, National Religious Campaign Against Torture, Pax Christi USA, Reprieve, September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition (TASSC) International, The Blue Lantern Project, Witness Against Torture and World Can’t Wait.
For a full list of events, please visit: http://witnesstorture.tumblr.com/post/82873599205/may-23-2014-global-call-to-action-to-close-guantanamo.
Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with more than 3 million members in more than 150 countries campaigning for human rights worldwide. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied.