Inaguration Day Demonstration

Press Release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Philip Traynor, President of Peace Fresno (559) 437-9816
Wayne Warkentin, Vice-President of Publicity, Peace Fresno (559) 266-8837
Bill Simon, Fresno Area Chapter ACLU-NC (559) 227-6565

INAUGURATION DAY DEMONSTRATION

Tuesday, January 20, 2009, 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
New Federal Building
2500 Tulare St.
Downtown Fresno

Peace Fresno and the Fresno Area Chapter of ACLU-NC will hold an Inauguration Day Demonstration, at 11:00 a.m. Jan. 20 in front of the New Federal Bldg., at 2500 Tulare St. in downtown Fresno. The theme of the event is to call on new President Barack Obama to do the following three things on his first day in office, all of which can be accomplished by Executive Order.

CLOSE GUANTANAMO BAY PRISON
BAN TORTURE
STOP EXTRAORDINARY RENDITION

Barack Obama has already pledged to issue an executive order to close Guantanamo Bay, on his first full day in office. We call on him to do that, and to ensure that those imprisoned there, some of whom have been held for seven years without charges or trial, receive humane treatment. They need to either be charged, with rights of due process given, or released. The use of torture on prisoners must be ended. Torture is in violation of the Geneva Convention protections, International Law, and U.S. Federal Law. Its use has also seriously eroded America's respect in the world. We need a return to the values which America is supposed to stand for.

Extraordinary Rendition is the term used for the transferring, by the C.I.A., of prisoners to other countries to be tortured. This is completely in violation of American principles and humanitarian standards, and must be stopped. We expect the January 20 demonstration to be a festive atmosphere, as we congratulate Barack Obama on his historic victory, and call on him to take these immediate steps.