On Jan. 11, for the fifth consecutive year, groups rallied
in Washington, D.C. to demand “Shut down Guantánamo.” This year’s
protest marked the ninth anniversary of the opening of the Guantánamo detention
center, and took place two years after President Obama signed an executive
order requiring that it be closed within a year.
After holding a press conference in front of the White
House, the group — led by people in orange jumpsuits representing the 173
remaining detainees — proceeded to the Justice Department, where 60 activists
blockaded the entrance for and hour and a half.
Simultaneous actions took place in Chicago, Miami, San
Francisco, Pittsburgh and elsewhere.
The Washington, D.C. events were organized by a coalition of
organizations including Witness Against Torture. Activists from the ANSWER
Coalition participated in event.
After the
Sept. 11 attacks, Guantánamo Bay started operating as a military prison. Over
the past nine years, hundreds have been arbitrarily rounded up, tortured, and
denied due process of law at Guantánamo.
