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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 10, 2013 Contact: Medea Benjamin, CODEPINK Co-founder, 415.235.6517, medea@codepink.org Alli McCracken, CODEPINK Organizer, 860.575.5692, alli@codepink.org CODEPINK Joins Human Rights Groups at White House On 12th Anniversary of Guantanamo Bay Prison to Demand its Closure What: Rally against Guantanamo prison When: Saturday, January 11, noon Where: White House, followed by a march Washington, D.C. – On January 11, 2014, CODEPINK and ally organizations will stage a protest in front of the White House to call for justice for Guantanamo prisoners, and call upon President Obama to honor his promise to close the prison. Activists will gather at the White House at 12:00pm and begin marching to the Museum of American History at 1:00pm. They are gathering to denounce the 12th shameful anniversary of Guantanamo Bay, and to demand its immediate closure. Visuals include protesters dressed in orange Guantanamo jumpsuits, photos of prisoners and large signs. Currently, there are 155 men imprisoned at Guantanamo, 76 of whom have been cleared for release. In February 2013, some of the detainees started a hunger strike that peaked in June with over 100 participants and garnered global attention. "In 2013, it took a massive, torturous hunger strike to get the Obama administration to begin the trickle of 11 prisoners released from Guantanamo,” says Medea Benjamin, co-founder of CODEPINK. “With Congress loosening restrictions on freeing cleared prisoners, the administration has fewer and fewer excuses. Obama should stop talking about how Guantanamo should be closed, and start acting on it." Co-Sponsors of the event include: Center for Constitutional Rights, Amnesty International, Witness Against Torture, Codepink: Women for Peace, National Religious Campaign Against Torture, September Eleventh Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, Council on American-Islamic Relations, Bill of Rights Defense Committee, Project Salam: Support and Legal Advocacy for Muslims, Reprieve, Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition, World Can't Wait, Defending Dissent Foundation, The Blue Lantern Project, CloseGuantánamo.org, Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, Interfaith Action for Human Rights. Activists will be available for interviews. For more information visit the Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/250234175138891/ |