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Indybay Feature
Escaped Guantanamo Prisoners Spotted on BART
As the massive hunger strike among prisoners at Guantanamo enters its third month, Bay Area activists took to the rails to raise awareness of this escalating human rights violation.
Inspired by an action organized by the London Guantanamo Campaign, anti-torture activists boarded BART trains on Saturday wearing the iconic orange jumpsuits and black hoods associated with detainees at Guantanamo. Somewhat ironically, the hooded prisoners read a newspaper filled with news about the prisoners' hunger strike, which after two months has finally succeeded in doing what none of us have been able to do for the last 11 years - awaken public awareness and discussion of the ethical and legal problems of holding people indefinitely with no charges.
86 of the 166 prisoners held by the US at Guantanamo have been cleared for release, but have little hope of being free. The vast majority of the others are "considered dangerous" by the Pentagon and CIA but can never be tried for any crime, either because there is no evidence against them or because what there is was obtained through torture.
Transit riders were engaged by the theater, actively requesting copies of our flier. Hopefully that translates into action and people will pressure Obama not only to follow through on his promise to "close Guantanamo" but to release the detainees or prove they are guilty of a crime.
86 of the 166 prisoners held by the US at Guantanamo have been cleared for release, but have little hope of being free. The vast majority of the others are "considered dangerous" by the Pentagon and CIA but can never be tried for any crime, either because there is no evidence against them or because what there is was obtained through torture.
Transit riders were engaged by the theater, actively requesting copies of our flier. Hopefully that translates into action and people will pressure Obama not only to follow through on his promise to "close Guantanamo" but to release the detainees or prove they are guilty of a crime.
For more information:
http://www.actagainsttorture.org
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to a racially diverse person, it is disappointing to see blacks and asians like on that train, they look away not wanting to upset their tenuos privilege. you can understand, but a racially diverse background expects everyone to be action.
In all the metropolitan areas and in some states, like California, the white European descendant population is a MINORITY. IN THE ENTIRE US, the MEDIAN AGE FOR WHITES IS 42 AND RISING. THAT MEANS IN 10 YEARS OR LESS, THE ENTIRE US WILL HAVE A MINORITY WHITE POPULATION. While it may be true, depending on the accuracy of the census, that 65% of the US is white, it is an old population, SOON GONE, for the most part.
So, now the United States is in large part, and soon in majority, a non-white nation. We have a black president, a black attorney general, a black former Secretary of State, Condaleezza Rice, a former Latino attorney general, Alberto Gonzales, who promoted the torture program, and an Asian American law professor and former US deputy assistant attorney general, John Yoo, who wrote torture memos for the government, AND THEY ARE ALL FASCISTS.
By now, you must have figured out that it is a question of CLASS AND CLASS OUTLOOK. The people in this picture are acting like most Americans do, regardless of ancestry: They ignore reality. It depends on whose ax is gored. If they experience something directly, like no paycheck, they wake up. In fact, all most people care about is the paycheck.
We all thank you for doing this consciousness raising on BART. It needs to be done everywhere. When we finally get rid of capitalism which only labor organizing for a general strike can do, we can have these pictures as evidence of the complicity with fascism of proud Americans, just as Germans complied with fascism as proud Germans. They only act to save their own miserable lives, regardless of ancestry, gender, sexual orientation, religion.
So, now the United States is in large part, and soon in majority, a non-white nation. We have a black president, a black attorney general, a black former Secretary of State, Condaleezza Rice, a former Latino attorney general, Alberto Gonzales, who promoted the torture program, and an Asian American law professor and former US deputy assistant attorney general, John Yoo, who wrote torture memos for the government, AND THEY ARE ALL FASCISTS.
By now, you must have figured out that it is a question of CLASS AND CLASS OUTLOOK. The people in this picture are acting like most Americans do, regardless of ancestry: They ignore reality. It depends on whose ax is gored. If they experience something directly, like no paycheck, they wake up. In fact, all most people care about is the paycheck.
We all thank you for doing this consciousness raising on BART. It needs to be done everywhere. When we finally get rid of capitalism which only labor organizing for a general strike can do, we can have these pictures as evidence of the complicity with fascism of proud Americans, just as Germans complied with fascism as proud Germans. They only act to save their own miserable lives, regardless of ancestry, gender, sexual orientation, religion.
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