International Day of Action Against Torture
Witness Against Torture marches to Clinton’s office (Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)
New York, NY - June 27, 2007. Tuesday, June 26th - the United Nations International Day of Action Against Torture - was observed in New York City with an interfaith service at St. Bartholomew’s Church in Midtown Manhattan: Buddhist prayer bells and meditational breathing; a Christian prayer for the victims of torture; a Jewish request for divine help - to “restore due process and the rule of law” in the US, and; an Islamic appeal to Allah - to grant the gift of mercy to the tortured and the gift of compassion to the torturers, our nation’s leaders who “are acting so unmercifully”. Following the service a long column, clad in orange “Shut Down Guantanamo” tshirts, wound it’s way past Chuck Schumer’s office - finally arriving at Hillary Clinton’s NYC office where a press conference and vigil was held. Turnout was very good, despite the intense heat and humidity.
Black shrouded coffins, placards calling for an to US torture of “enemy combatants”, none of whom have ever been convicted of a crime, and black hooded protesters clad in orange prison jumpsuits occupied the square in front of Presidential hopeful Clinton’s office space. As the press conference began, staffers from Schumer’s office appeared to announce that Schumer would meet with the group at some future point. Organizers called on Clinton to do the same and eventually received word from her staff that she would “continue to work to close Guantanamo”.
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Original post by Thomas Good and reposted by Radical Blogs
