| CODEPINK Bold Action in front of the White House, Demands Justice for Guantanamo Prisoners |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 10, 2013 Contact: Alli McCracken, CODEPINK National Coordinator, (860) 575-5692,[email protected] Medea Benjamin, CODEPINK Cofounder, (415-235-6517), [email protected] CODEPINK Stages Bold Action in front of the White House, Demands Justice for Guantánamo Prisoners Washington DC — At 1 pm EST on Friday, May 10, CODEPINK and ally organizations calling for justice for Guantanamo prisoners will stage a bold action in front of the White House. The action will follow a 12pm-1pm vigil with religious leaders. Visuals include activists wearing Guantánamo jumpsuits, an “armed US soldier”, reenactments of the degrading and inhumane treatment of the prisoners by US military guards, and more. “I am disgusted with President Obama for keeping the prisoners in Guantánamo in indefinite detention, refusing to release those who have been cleared, and brutally force-feeding them,” said veteran, grandmother and CODEPINK cofounder Diane Wilson, who is on day 10 of a water-only fast to support the prisoners’ call for justice. “We Americans have to do more to force the president to take action.” CODEPINK has launched an urgent call to save the lives of 130 prisoners on a hunger strike in Guantánamo and will be staging actions all across DC for the upcoming weeks. Over 1000 people from around the world have pledged to join a rolling hunger strike organized by CODEPINK to demand justice for the prisoners held in Guantánamo. And almost 3,000 people have signed a Mothers Day petition to Michelle Obama urging her to tell her husband to shut down Guantanamo. Currently over 100 Guantánamo prisoners are on hunger strike. More than half of the prisoners were cleared for release years ago, but remain in prison. They have been separated from their families and have suffered torture and abuse, without so much as a trial. CODEPINK and other human rights organizations have been organizing to put pressure on the Obama administration to shut down the prison and return the men cleared for release to their home countries. Activists have visited the White House, various Congressional offices, the State Department, and the Department of Justice to deliver their message. CODEPINK is a women-initiated grassroots peace and social justice movement working to end U.S. funded wars and occupations, to challenge militarism globally, and to redirect our resources into health care, education, green jobs and other life-affirming activities. ## |
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Hunger Striker's Blog
U.S. Faster in Solidarity w/Gitmo & Pelican Bay Prisoners
Foreground: EMT prepares the tool for the nasal intubation. Background: U.S. Embassy, Buenos Aires, Argentina Middleground:...agony awaits.
The feeding demo is extremely painful, yet it is done with consent. The long-term solidarity fast continues with nasogastric nourishment in front of U.S. governmental symbols of power. The twice-daily force-feeding of Gitmo hunger strikers is nonconsensual and therefore real torture by the standards sponsored by U.S. taxpayers and authorized by members of Congress who just raised the debt ceiling to nearly $17 trillion. President Obama's actions continue to belie his empty words "Close Guantánamo." As Commander-in-Chief, he could easily order an end to what the Pentagon refuses to call "forced-feeding." The force-feeding is premeditated relentless forced penetration of plastic into their innermost sacred cavities !
Andrés Thomas Conteris - fasted on water and coconut water with vitamin and electrolyte supplements. Solidarity fast began July 8, 2013 with 30,000 hunger striking California prisoners urging fulfillment of 5 Core Demands of the Pelican Bay supermax prisoners. Force-feeding protests began Sept. 6 & Sept. 25 in front of the White House & later in front of the Oakland Office of CA Dept of Corrections and Rehab (CDCR) to depict how prisoners in Guantánamo are tortured with force-feeding twice-daily and how CA prisoners as future hunger strikers have been threatened with a court order authorizing force-feeding. On Oct 4 and Oct 8 he was tube-fed in front of the U.S. Embassies in Montevideo, Uruguay and Buenos Aires, Argentina. On Oct 15 a similar protest took place in Santiago, Chile. On Friday, Oct 18 the feeding protest returns to Washington, DC outside a Federal Court hearing on the lawsuit challenging force-feeding in Guantánamo. He is now on a maintenance fast losing about 1 pound per week, unlike the 5 pounds/week the first 11 weeks. In January 2014 with the anniversary of Guantánamo on Jan. 11, the force feeding protests will recommence. Please spread the word.
U.S. Hunger Strikers who have suspended their fast
Diane Wilson - Water only 58 days (lost 48 lbs). Diane, co-founder of CodePink and member of Veterans for Peace, suspended her hunger strike on June 27, 2013 after detention following her arrest for scaling the White House fence the day before. She faced a jury trial in DC District Court on Sept. 5th, 2013.
S. Brian Willson - Suspended Hunger Strike on June 10, 2013 after 31 days on 300cal/day, when a car accidentally hit him. Supporters continue a vigil with a rolling fast, in Portland, OR.
Elliott Adams - Went 80 days on 300 cal/day from May 18, to August 4, 2013 losing 45 lbs. He is past President of Veterans for Peace.
Tarak Kauff - Ended fast on August 4, 2013 after 58 days on 300 cal/day since June 7. He lost 29 lbs. On Board of Directors for Veterans for Peace.
Cynthia Papermaster - After 84 days on 300 cal/day, Cynthia suspended her hunger strike on Sep. 6 which began June 15, 2013. Code Pink member, lost 35 lbs. The transfer of two Algerian prisoners on Aug. 29, 2013, inspired her to suspend her fast.
Collaborative of CloseGitmo.net Organizations
- Campaign for Alternatives to
- Meta Peace Team: "Pursuing peace
- Metta Center for Nonviolence
- NRCAT
Daily Updates
- Articles: Guantánamo: Where Being Cleared for Release Means Nothing January 26, 2014
- Articles: Video: Washington D.C. Protest on the 12th Anniversary of the Opening of Guantánamo January 16, 2014
- Articles: Join Us in Washington D.C. on Jan. 11 to Tell President Obama, "Close Guantánamo Now!" January 6, 2014
