The Center for Constitutional Rights is proud to co-sponsor monthly vigils calling for the closure of Guantánamo.
These vigils will take place in several cities in the U.S.
In March, 2023, Andy Worthington reported:
Monthly vigils — or even weekly vigils — for the closure of Guantánamo were a noticeable feature of the London protest scene for many years, while British prisoners were still held there, although, with the release of Shaker Aamer, the prison’s last British resident, in October 2015, it became impossible to sustain the impetus, and the Trump years, of course, were bleak for protestors, because Trump had tweeted, even before he took office, that “there must be no more releases from Gitmo,” and he was largely true to his word, releasing only one man in his nearly 1,500 days in office.
Last September, however, the UK Guantánamo Network, which came together in the run-up to the 20th anniversary of the opening of Guantánamo (in January 2022), and which includes members of various Amnesty International groups, Close Guantánamo, the Guantánamo Justice Campaign and the London Guantánamo Campaign, were persuaded to revive vigils outside Parliament through the enthusiasm of their convenor, Sara Birch, who, when chair of the Lewes Amnesty group, had previously shown a talent for mobilising people in significant numbers for Guantánamo events.
After global rallies to mark the 21st anniversary of the opening of Guantánamo, I thought it would make sense to keep highlighting the ongoing injustice of Guantánamo — particularly in relation to the men still held who have been approved for release — by asking other campaigners around the world to hold coordinated monthly vigils on the same days as the London vigils. Last month we were joined by Witness Against Torture campaigners in Washington, D.C., and with New York and Mexico City on board this month, it seems reasonable to assume that campaigners in other locations will join us next month.
The Center for Constitutional Rights is proud to co-sponsor monthly vigils calling for the closure of Guantánamo. These vigils will take place in several cities in the U.S. and abroad on the first Wednesday of every month.
Locations:
New York, NY 5-6 p.m. ET
Steps of the New York Public Library, 5th Ave & 42nd Street. Contact: Debra Sweet, 718-809-3803
Washington, DC, 12-1 p.m. ET
Corner of Independence Ave & New Jersey Ave SE. Contact: Steve Lane, 571- 221-4120
Minneapolis, MN 5-6 p.m. CT
Handshake Bridge between the Sculpture Garden and Loring Park. Contact: Aaron Tovo, aarontovo@gmail.com
Cobleskill, NY 5-6 p.m. ET
514 West Main Street. Contact: Elliot Adams, 518-441-2697
London, UK, 1-3 p.m. GMT
Parliament Square, opposite the Houses of Parliament, London SW1. Contact: Sara Birch, 07710 789616
Mexico City, Mexico
Location TBD. Contact Natalia, 55 3993 1730
Co-sponsoring organizations:
Amnesty International, Center for Constitutional Rights, Center for Victims of Torture, Close Guantanamo, Council on American-Islamic Relations, Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace, Muslim Counterpublics Lab, National Religious Campaign Against Torture, No More Guantanamos, NYC Veterans For Peace, UK Guantanamo Network, Witness Against Torture.