Day 11: Fast and Vigil for Justice

compiled by Matt Daloisio

Hello Friends-

One of the most incredible parts of these past ten days has been being able to connect with folks fasting and acting around the country (& even the world!) We have faster's in Australia & Sweden, Connecticut & California. Wisconsin & Pennsylvania. Over 150 people participating. We've very much appreciated the reports and reflections from those outside of DC, and we hope our daily updates have helped build a sense of community, even from afar.

Today was a busy one. As I sit to write this brief update, forty-two friends are in DC jail after simultaneous actions inside and outside the US Capitol. Rather than re-count the actions here, we encourage you to visit www.witnesstorture.org for photos, videos and pictures. Please forward links around, post them on facebook, e-mail them to friends and family, not to highlight what we have done, but to draw attention to the continuing crime of Guantanamo.

Links to some of the press accounts from J21 are below, as well as the post-action press release that we sent out.

Most of tomorrow will be spent in court, waiting for our friends release. Many of those arrested...most actually, are on day 11 of the fast, and will continue that witness in jail. Almost all of the arrestees did not bring their identification with them today, instead taking the names of men still in Guantanamo.

St. Stephen's is a good deal calmer tonight than it has been these past two weeks. The weather outside has dropped a few degrees, and the rain currently coming down may be snow by morning.

We are anxious to see our friends emerge from the cells where they sleep tonight, into the courtroom tomorrow. It may be morning when they are released. It may be later in the day. In some cases, it may not be until Saturday. But at some point soon, they will appear before a judge, have charges presented against them, and be given a chance to enter a plea. All things one would expect after an arrest. Or perhaps I should say, all things one used to expect. It is hard....no, impossible to imagine what it must be like to have friends and family in jail, with little to no hope of ever seeing them again.

Tomorrow night (Friday), around 7pm, we will gather in community, with family and friends, to share a meal. And while it will surely be a joy filled occasion, this meal will never be complete while Guantanamo is still open.

In less than twenty-four hours the fast will be over, as will our time together in DC. People will return to families and commitments, campaigns and work. But we will do this with a renewed dedication to seeing an end of Guantanamo and all it represents. And we will do this with great hope...not in presidents, or governments, or courts or congress, but in each other and all of you.

Thank you for all that you do!
Peace with Justice,
Witness Against Torture
www.witnesstorture.org

Video daily report from Mike Benedetti