In the week leading up to the January 11th national day of action against torture (called for by ACLU, Amnesty International, and more), student organizers with World Can't Wait and the Bay Area Revolution Club spoke in classes and distributed orange armbands at several Bay Area high schools. Larry Everest (contributor to Revolution Newspaper and author of the book Oil, Power, & Empire) was invited by students to give a presentation on January 9th at Leadership High during an advisory period with approximately sixty students in attendance. The talk focused on what is taking place at Guantanamo Bay. He engaged students in dialogue and role-playing about the role of torture in U.S. governmental policy.

When approximately 50 students wore orange in opposition to torture/Guantanamo Bay, they were told by administrators that they had to remove their orange bandanas or the bandanas would be taken away. They were told that they look like "gangsters." Students refused to take off their bandanas and more began wearing orange. A handful of students wore orange jumpsuits and black hoods to the Jan. 11 action in downtown San Francisco. Photos from January 11th

After the presentation about the abuses going on at Guantanamo Bay, teachers were instructed by the school's Administration to take students back to their classes and "debrief." At least two of the teachers told their students that Larry Everest's presentation was "one-sided" and "extreme." The Administration sent a letter home to all parents of students who attended the event stating: "We know that the information presented was not balanced with alternative view points." The letter stated that the school would introduce a curriculum to teach the "other side" of torture, which one of the teachers described as the "Bush Administration's point of view." At least one of the teachers has already started teaching this. Students are reportedly working on a petition that upholds the message of the presentation; and organizing to wear orange. Report and Photos

Indybay's previous coverage of the National Day of Action Against Torture | “It’s on us to change things” by Bay Area Revolution Club High School Organizers