Tag Archives: Solidarity

Follow RT’s day-by-day timeline of the Gitmo hunger strike.The three day campaign, which kicks off on Friday, is intended to “Raise Awareness in social media of the human rights violations going on at Guantanamo, the indefinite detention of prisoners, many of whom have been cleared for release years ago.” In a statement released earlier this month, Anonymous expressed their solidarity with the hunger strikers, vowing they would “shut down Guantanamo.” They have instructed supporters of their global action to use the tag #GTMO17 when the countdown clock strikes zero. As a part of the twitterstorm, the group has sent out a series of lines to be re-tweeted which highlight reported abuses at the camp.”’The United States is slowly killing men in a prison that should never have existed.’ #GTMO17” “’They’re not going to be brutalized into submission, and I think the net result will be some of them will die.’ #GTMO17” “’When that tube goes up your nose, your eyes begin to water, as it passes through the back of your skull…’ #GTMO17”“’86 detainees have been cleared for release or transfer, but efforts to send them home have stalled, making them more desperate.’ #GTMO17” The group has characterized the detention facility as a concentration camp, casting aspersions on a series of alleged human right’s abuses ranging from force-feeding to the practice of compulsory cavity searches for detainees prior to any meeting with their lawyers. It has further lambasted US President Barack Obama for wavering on his 2009 promise to shut down the camp, which the collective described as “an ongoing war crime.” The Anonymous website also posted phone numbers for the White House, the United States Southern Command and the Department of Defense, urging supporters to ‘phonebomb’ officials with calls about the camp. Inmates at Guantanamo initiated the hunger strike in early February over alleged mistreatments, including the mishandling of their Korans. Out of the camp’s 166 detainees, 102 are currently taking part in the hunger strike. Thirty of the prisoners are being force-fed, a practice which the UN human rights office condemned as “torture” and a breach of international law, and three have been sent to the detainee hospital for observation. The swelling ranks of those demanding the prison’s closure has among its ranks not only internet activists, but those who have inside knowledge of the camp and its operations. Colonel Morris Davis, the former Chief Prosecutor for the terrorism trials at Guantanamo Bay, has become a prominent advocate for the camp’s closure.“It’s been an embarrassment to the country, it’s drained our credibility, it’s wasted our money and it’s time for it to close.” … Read More