daily reports
Fast and Vigil for Justice - Final Report
From January 11 - January 22, over one hundred and fifty people spent the last 12 days fasting, vigiling, lobbying and then, finally, engaging in civil disobedience to call for a closure of Guantanamo and an end to all torture. Below is a short summary of our daily activities and links to some reflections. Be sure to poke around witnesstorture.org for a bounty of videos, photos, press clippings and more. more...
Day 12: Fast and Vigil for Justice
All of our friends who spent last night and the better part of today in jail, have now been released. After 30 hours locked up, the system slowly grinded on, and people have a first court date of March 18. We'll keep you in the loop as details around a possible trial come together. From those who were arrested, there were stories of joy as well as frustration… more...
Day 8: Fast and Vigil for Justice
This morning, on Day Eight of our fast, we gathered together for a conference call with the Afghan Youth Peace Volunteers, a group of young people working for peace and justice in Afghanistan (http://ourjourneytosmile.com/blog/). They have been fasting for two days in solidarity with all of us. It is difficult to try to encapsulate the richness of the dialogue we exchanged with this group of young people so dedicated to the struggle for peace and justice, and so entrenched in the sorrow and pain of war. more...
Day 5: Fast and Vigil for Justice
On the fifth day of the fast, in honor of the birthday Martin Luther King Jr., Ted led us in a reflection on some of King's writings, asking us to think about a phrase from his Strength to Love about having a "tough mind and a tender heart." Later we went to the luncheon for John Yoo. Bob, Matt and Lindsay were on the inside as the rest vigiled outside. more...
Day 4: Fast and Vigil for Justice
On the fourth day of the fast, a more relaxed schedule allowed us the opportunity to catch our breath, much needed after these last three eventful days. We gathered for our morning reflection, which began with a moment of silence for the people of Haiti, who remain, with their friends and family all over the world, in our thoughts and prayers. more...
Day 3: Fast and Vigil for Justice
Day Three of the fast began with a morning reflection and discussion led by John and Jericha from Chicago. Later some of us took off for the Supreme Court, where we began a long procession around Capitol Hill, which included a walk up the steps leading to the Capitol. The procession concluded at the Senate Hart building, where the other half of our group was inside lobbying. In the evening we heard poetry and music from David Rovics, followed by a talk from Cindy Sheehan and Ray McGovern about drones and the CIA, more...
Day 2: Fast and Vigil for Justice
Day Two of the fast for justice began at the Friends Committee on National Legislation where we received training to prepare for lobby visits later in the day. At 1pm, the first group went to their first lobby visits while a group of about twenty-four of us participated in a somber "prisoner walk" through the halls of the Senate Hart Building. To round out the day, we went to the White House, where we joined the Dorothy Day house and other folks who have been holding a vigil there every Tuesday since the end Witness Against Torture's 100 days campaign. more...
Day 1: Fast and Vigil for Justice
Today, January 11, 2010, around 100 of us gathered at the White House, many wearing orange jumpsuits and black hoods. After a street theater performance, we heard from a few speakers as people held a large “Close Guantanamo” banner as a backdrop. more...