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                               -Dorothy Day

 

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Iowa Peacemakers Give Gitmo the Get-go.

 

While calling for the U.S. to close down its house of torture in Guantanamo Bay, 80 people were arrested inside and in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday, January 11, 2008.  Among them were eight Iowans, making Iowa the most represented region in the nation.

 

 

The eight Iowans arrested were: (from right to left)

First row, Chris Gaunt, Grinnell, Megan Felt, Iowa City, Renee Espeland, Des Moines

Back row: Mona Shaw, Iowa City, Ed Bloomer, Des Moines, Elton Davis, Des Moines, Kirk Brown, Des Moines, Brian Terrell, Maloy.

NOTE: Supreme Court Police would not allow us to take this photo behind the stanchions unless we removed our orange shirts.  

This action, organized by NYC-based Witness Against Torture, delivered a message to the U.S. Supreme Court demanding the shut-down of the U.S. prison at Guantanamo and justice for those detained there.  Eighty activists were arrested including Dorothy Day’s granddaugher, Martha Hennessy and Frida Berrigan, daugher of renowned peace activist Phillip Berrigan.  About 45 activists were arrested inside the Court building and another 35 on the steps. The arrests followed a solemn march from the National Mall of 400 persons that included a procession of activists dressed like the Guantanamo prisoners in orange jumpsuits and black hoods – part of an International Day of Action that was endorsed by over 100 groups and that included 83 events around the world.

 

About 70 of those arrested withheld their legal name and instead gave the name of a detainee upon arrest. The next day in court they gave their legal name but stated that their arrest was on behalf of a detainee whom each named. Thus one of the main goals for the action was achieved because a number the court dockets as well as individual citations now have one of the detainees' names on them.

 

More about this action, including videos, photos, etc. can be found at Witness Against Torture's website at the link below.

http://www.witnesstorture.org/jan11_2008

 

 

Sample press coverage:

 

CBS News

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/01/11/national/main3703413.shtml?source=RSSattr=HOME_3703413

 

USA Today

http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2008/01/80-arrested-in.html

 

Mona Shaw’s Blog on the Iowa City Press Citizen Web Site

Click on “Show Original Post” at the top of this page to read this blog.

http://mypc.press-citizen.com/blogs/reply.php?type_blogs=Varsity&id_blogs=21&id_blogposts=4064

 

After Downing Street

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/30024

 

Michael Moore's website

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=10693

 

Aljazeera.net News (English version)

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/548304B1-29C5-4ADB-8436-749F9A588CC9.htm

 

NASDAQ.com

http://www.nasdaq.com/aspxcontent/NewsStory.aspx?cpath=20080111%5CACQDJON200801111640DOWJONESDJONLINE000778.htm&