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Indybay Feature

Torture in Guantanamo? Senator Condones, Protestors Condemn

by RM of Jericho (fombuck [at] yahoo.com)
Protestors today staged a demonstration at Senator Dianne Feinstein's office in San Francisco, condemning inhumane treatment of prisoners from Afghanistan held at a U.S. base in Guantanamo, Cuba.
sfdemo4intllaw.jpg
The event supported the federal court petition demanding legal rights for Afghan fighters, filed by The Committee of Clergy, Lawyers and Professors, a group that includes former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark and other prominent civil rights advocates.

The demonstration, with street theater, protested prisoners' being drugged, shackled, forcibly shaved, covered with black hoods and kept in 8'x8' outdoor cages, with no access to lawyers even though they might face the death penalty. After visiting the detention center, Senator Feinstein insisted that this treatment is "humane."

The protestors also raised concerns with the conditions and rights of the approximately 300 detainees being held in unprecedented incommunicado by the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Almost all of them are being held for immigration violations, very few on criminal charges and virtually none for anything directly related to the Sept 11 attacks. Families, lawyers and journalists are being denied even the most basic information about the people being held.

The event was sponsored by: Arab Women's Solidarity Association, Bay Area Police Watch, Critical Resistance, Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Freedom Archives, Friends of Marilyn Buck, Global Exchange, International Action Center, INS Watch, Jericho Amnesty Movement, Lesbian And GAy Insurrection, Left Party, Legal Services for Prisoners with Children, Movimiento por los Derechos de los Inmigrantes, National Lawyers Guild - SF Bay Area Chapter, Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, Prison Activist Resource Center, SF Women in Black.
by Rob
A second photo of the demonstration is at http://www.indybay.org/news/2002/02/116358.php
by SF Voter
I am outraged that San Francisco gave 222,787 (December '00 final) votes, 72% of its vote, to Dianne Feinstein in November 2000, and it had a good alternative on the ballot, namely Medea Benjamin, who received 32,377 (December '00 final) votes. There has never been anything "liberal" about Dianne Feinstein as supervisor, as mayor and as US senator. She has always been of, by and for the rich. The rent control law that she signed was a weakened version to prevent a stronger version being put on the ballot. We are still filling in the holes of that weaker version. STOP VOTING FOR DIANNE FEINSTEIN. Skip a position if there is no alternative that represents you.
Please note: Medea only needed 7% more of the California vote to retire Feinstein. Medea should run again.
by Gustuve
The Afghan detainees are being treated better than they were back home! Free meals, prayer cloths, housing, medical care. And remember, they are at war with America, just like you. They hate freedom as much as you do.
by RM of Jericho (fombuck [at] yahoo.com)
A few more photos and info now available at the SF Bay Area Jericho Amnesty Movement site -- http://prisonactivist.org/jericho_sfbay/guantanamo-demo.html
by blah
How many demonstrators witnessed the atrocities in Guantanamo?

None? Dooooood, you guys are worse than Geraldo. Pass the bong!
by SF Voter
Now that the Palestinian issue is on the political agenda, the entire US Senate and US Congress are vulnerable, as they constitute one solid voting bloc for the US junior partner that protects US oil profits in the Middle East, namely Israel. Thus, not only should Dianne Feinstein have a pro-Palestinian candidate run against her in 2006, but Barbara Boxer should also have a pro-Palestinian candidate run against her in 2004.

Referring to the California Secretary of State website,
http://vote98.ss.ca.gov/Final/sov/SOV25-27.pdf
we can view Barbara Boxer's county totals for a total statewide vote of only 53% or 4.4 million votes. This is clearly a vulnerable candidate. When you complain about Dianne Feinstein's record, you are, at the same time, complaining about Barbara Boxer's record, because they are THE SAME. They are both Democrats, staunch supporters of the Zionist government of Israel, against the interests of the workingclass, both Jewish and Arab, and their votes are the same on all major issues, and just about everything else. Feinstein might get the press, but Boxer plays the same tune. Some noteworthy counties where a pro-Palestinian candidate should do well, keeping in mind that all we can do at this point is retire these old war horses, until we have a serious labor movement to actually get progressive candidates elected:

1998 US Senate Race Against Incumbent Barbara Boxer:
Alameda: 69% or 266,329 votes
Los Angeles 60% or 1.2 million votes
San Francisco 75% or 179,889 votes
Santa Cruz 62% or 53,363 votes

To the entire pro-Palestinian community of California: The above record must not occur again. Whether you vote for Dianne Feinstein or Barbara Boxer, you get exactly the same pro-Israel vote. Either vote for the pro-Palestinian candidates that run against them or skip the US Senate position. The same is true for all other positions.
by blah
Zionists are bad, bad people. They, like, kill people and stuff, and own the media and the U.S. government and the banks, too. We should, like, have a revolution and overthrow ZOG and stuff.

Pass the bong, doooooooooooooooooooooood!

by Linda Roberts (lroberts46 [at] aol.com)
Feinstein's voting record is shameful. I am in Peace and Freedom Party but will vote for Media
Benjamin. She is a woman with compassion and honesty
by fact
They were defending their country against a foreign invader. Would you not do the same?
by Jay Hovah
When did congress declare war?

When did congress suspend Habeas Corpus?

When did the morons that vote for crap like Feinswein finally figure out that she is no better than Bush?
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