Doral, FL – About 40 activists marched from Trump National Resort in Doral to U.S. Southern Command, June 25, to demand that President Trump shut down Guantanamo Bay prison. The prison currently holds 41 detainees, 26 of whom have not been charged or tried for any crimes and five of whom have been cleared for release.

Protesters first gathered outside of Trump’s resort at 5 p.m., with a large banner that read, “Shut down Guantanamo!” Four people donned the infamous orange jumpsuits with black hoods over their heads; the same that prisoners at Guantanamo Bay are forced to wear. The four knelt in front of the Trump National Doral entrance holding signs such as, “Investigate Trump for war crimes.”

Conor Munro, an organizer with People’s Opposition to War, Imperialism, and Racism (POWIR), led the evening’s protest. “Closing Guantanamo under Trump might be more difficult than under Obama, because he openly promotes a torture agenda. But, what’s also true is that there is a large people’s movement against Trump, and we need to use that to target issues that matter,” said Munro.

At 6 p.m., the group marched one mile in the 93-degree heat to U.S. Southern Command, which is the entity responsible for all military activity in the Americas. From directing the prison cells at Guantanamo Bay, to the right-wing paramilitaries in Colombia and attempted coups in Venezuela, SOUTHCOM is a sinister institution that serves no other purpose than to spread the violence of U.S. imperialism across the hemisphere.

The event ended outside of the gates of SOUTHCOM, where the group listened to speeches from community leaders. One speaker focused on how the prison was once used to detain thousands of Haitian refugees fleeing a U.S.-backed coup, while another focused on how the land belongs to the people of Cuba and must be returned back to them in order to rid the island of U.S. military presence once and for all.

This was the fifth year that POWIR organized this protest to close Guantanamo Bay. Activists promised to continue the fight against torture, violence and war, no matter who sits in the White House.

#DoralFL #International #AntiwarMovement #ImmigrantRights #InJusticeSystem #Cuba #Americas #PeoplesStruggles #GuantanamoBay

During the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump repeatedly expressed a desire to expand the U.S. use of torture and to keep open the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, saying that he would “load it up with bad dudes.” This would reverse the trend started under President Obama, whereby a slow stream of prisoners has been released, bringing the population of the camp down to 41. At the same time, President Trump has intensified U.S. military strikes in Afghanistan, Syria and Yemen – plunging the region further into chaos.

On June 25, the people of South Florida will march alongside activists travelling from around the state and beyond to say “No to Trump’s torture agenda.” The starting point is NW 36th Street and NW 87th Ave at 5 p.m. followed by a march to U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) at 9301 NW 33rd Street, Doral, FL 33172.

The People’s Opposition to War, Imperialism, and Racism (POWIR), CODEPINK-Miami, Progressive Democrats of America–Miami, Broward Green Party, War Vs. Human Needs, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), SOA Watch South Florida, National Lawyers Guild South Florida Chapter, Veterans for Peace Miami, Al-Awda South Florida, and local community members will participate in the protest.

#MiamiFL #Cuba #US #PeoplesStruggles #RacismInTheCriminalJusticeSystem #GuantanamoBay #Antiracism #PoliticalRepression #DonaldTrump

Open Letter to President Obama to Take Concrete Action on Ending the U.S. Blockade/Embargo on Cuba, and to Return Guantanamo to Cuba

We welcome President Obama’s decision to travel to Cuba for talks with the Cuban government.

We undersigned organizations and individuals call on President Obama to take concrete actions on two outstanding issues to restore normal diplomatic relations between the two countries:

1. End the 54 year old embargo/blockade of Cuba,

2. Return the US occupied territory of Guantanamo to Cuba.

Economic Impact of the Embargo/Blockade of Cuba

Cuba lost out on at least US$117 billion between 1960 and 2014 due to the U.S. economic blockade on the country, according to the United Nations’ Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.

The embargo/blockade not only hurts Cuba, but also the US. The US Chamber of Commerce, which advocates lifting the embargo, states the cost to the US economy of the 54 year sanctions range from $1.2 to $3.6 billion per year.

On the US embargo/blockade of Cuba, President Obama can exercise his authority in the following areas:

1) authorize the use of the dollar in international transactions;

2) permit Cuba to import from third countries products with more than 10 percent U.S. components;

3) allow Cuban entities to open correspondent accounts in U.S. banks;

4) end the policy of financial persecution against Cuba;

5) not impede the granting of credits or other financial facilities;

6) allow imports of Cuba’s exportable products or services;

7) authorize Cuban planes and boats to carry passengers, cargo and mail between the two countries;

8) authorize direct exports of U.S. products to Cuba;

9) authorize companies to invest in Cuba (international firms have submitted more than 400 proposals for investment in the Mariel Economic Zone);

10) remove the limit on Cuban products that can be imported by U.S. visitors to Cuba;

11) authorize U.S. citizens to receive medical treatment in Cuba;

12) allow the distribution of credits, loans and financing for the acquisition of products in the U.S. market.

The US Naval Base at Guantánamo

The US Base at Guantánamo is 113 years old as of February 23, 2016. It was the first U.S. base in our hemisphere and is the oldest U.S. overseas base in the world, and the only one whose host country lacks contractual authority to unilaterally revoke it.

We call on President Obama to implement these actions to alleviate the US blockade on Cuba and to set a timetable for returning US occupied Guantanamo to the Cuban nation.

Noam Chomsky

Chicago ALBA Solidarity Committee

Medea Benjamin, Co-founder, Code Pink

SOA Watch

Rev. Michael Kinnamon, former General Secretary, National Council of Churches

IFCO/Pastors for Peace

Glen Ford, Executive Editor, Black Agenda Report

Tom Hayden

Carl Rosen, President of Western Region, United Electrical Workers (UE)

Chuck Kaufman, National Coordinator, Alliance for Global Justice

Eva Golinger, Journalist/writer,The Chavez Code; Bush vs Chavez

Marjorie Cohn, past President, National Lawyers Guild; Professor, Thomas Jefferson School of Law

Rev. Joan Brown Campbell, former General Secretary, National Council of Churches

Cindy Sheehan, Author/Activist

James Early, Board member, Institute for Policy Studies, Regional Articulation of Afro- Descendants, Latin America and Caribbean

Kevin Martin, Executive Director, Peace Action

Council on Hemispheric Affairs

Council on Latin American Relations

Leah Bolger, CDR, USN (Ret), former National President, Veterans For Peace

José E. López, Executive Director, Puerto Rico Cultural Center

Fred Hirsch, Delegate to the South Bay Labor Council

Cristina Vazquez, International Vice President, Workers United WSRJB 52, SEIU

Task Force on the Americas

International Leonard Peltier Defense Committee

Blasé Bonpane, Office of the Americas

Rev. Kristin Stoneking, Executive Director, Fellowship of Reconciliation

Dave Welsh, Delegate, San Francisco Labor Council

Dan Kovalik, USW Associate General Counsel

Alicia Jrapko, US Coordinator, International Committee for Peace, Justice and Dignity

National Lawyers Guild, Cuba Subcommittee

United National Anti-War Coalition (UNAC)

Bill Preston, President. AFGE Local 17

David McReynolds, War Resisters League (retired)

Margaret Randall, author, Haydée Santamaría, Cuban Revolutionary (most recent)

Jane Franklin, Historian, Cuba and the United States, A Chronological History

Alex Main, Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR)

Historians Against the War

Delvis Fernandez Levy, Cuban American Alliance

Walter Lippmann, CubaNews, Los Angeles

Tiana Ocasio, President, Connecticut Chapter, Labor Council for Latin American Advancement

Stephen Kimber, journalist, author, What Lies Across the Water, The Real Story of the Cuban 5

David Swanson, author, WorldBeyondWar.org, WarisaCrime.org

New Internationalism Project of Institute for Policy Studies (IPS)

Alejandro Molina, Michelle Morales, National Boricua Human Rights Network; Campaign to Free Oscar Lopez Rivera

Sara Flounders, Co-Director, International Action Center

Rabbi Brant Rosen

John McAuliff, Executive Director, Fund for Reconciliation and Development; Coordinator, Cuba-US People to People Partnership

Cherrene Horazuk, President, AFSCME 3800

RootsAction.org

Hon. Jim Ferlo, President, Pittsburgh-Matanzas-Sister Cities Association

(Former City Council President and PA State Senator 1988-2014, now retired)

Salim Lamrani, author, The Economic War Against Cuba

Tom Hansen, International Education Director, Mexico Solidarity Network

Arnold August, journalist, author, Cuba and its Neighbours: Democracy in Motion

Dan Beeton, CEPR

Reese Erlich, author, Dateline Havana

Albert A. Fox, Jr., President, Alliance for Responsible Cuba Policy Foundation

Art Heitzer, Wisconsin Coalition to Normalize Relations with Cuba

Pam Africa, Suzanne Ross, International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal

Joe Iosbaker. Co-Chair, SEIU Local 73 Joint Bargaining Committee at UIC

Richard Berg, past President, Teamsters Local 743

Matt Meyer. War Resisters International;International Peace Research Association

Keith Bolender, author, Voices From the Other Side: An Oral History of Terrorism Against Cuba; Cuba Under Siege: American Policy, the Revolution and Its People

Bob Guild, Vice President, Marazul Charters, Inc.

Charles A. Serrano, ASG International, Inc.

Elizabeth Hill, President, Canadian-Cuban Friendship Association Toronto

Mike Beilstein, Corvallis,OR City Councilor

8th Day Center for Justice

Lisa Valanti, President US-CUBA Sister Cities Association

Church Women United, New York State

Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America

St. Louis Inter-Faith Committee on Latin America

Kathy Kelly, Voices for Creative Nonviolence

The Friendship Association (formerly St. Augustine-Baracoa Friendship Association)

Minnesota Cuba Committee

Wendy Thompson. former Pres. L. 235, UAW, American Axle Detroit Gear & Axle

Felix Masud-Piloto, Professor of History, DePaul University

Alice Slater, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation

Catherine Murphy, The Literacy Project

Marcela Vásquez-León, Director, Center for Latin American Studies, University of Arizona

Dereka Rushbrook, Associate Professor, School of Geography & Development; Co-Director, Contemporary Cuba Study Abroad Program, University of Arizona

Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba

US Women and Cuba Collaboration

Let Cuba Live Committee of Maine

Heide Trampus, Coordinator, Worker to Worker, Canada-Cuba Labour Solidarity Network

Seattle/Cuba Friendship Committee

Ken Crowley, National Delegations Organizer, Witness for Peace

Portland Central America Solidarity Committee

Houston Peace and Justice Center

Rochester Committee on Latin America (ROCLA)

Kentucky Interfaith on Latin America and the Caribbean

Graciela Sanchez, Executive Director Esperanza Peace and Justice Center (Texas)

H. Bruce Franklin, Author

Pedro Cabán, Professor and Chair, Latin American, Caribbean and U.S. Latino Studies

University at Albany, SUNY

Sacramento Action for Latin America

Charlotte Koons, co-founder, Code Pink-Long Island, Women for Peace

CUBAmistad (Bloomington, IN)

Leslie Salgado, Chair, Howard County Friends of Latin America

Friends of Cuba Against the Blockade – Vancouver

Nino Pagliccia, activist, author, Cuba Solidarity in Canada

John Laun, Colombia Support Network

Gabriel Hetland, Assistant Professor, Latin American, Caribbean and U.S. Latino Studies, University at Albany, SUNY

Latin American and Caribbean Solidarity Committee, DC Metropolitan Area

Rebecca Navarrete-Davis, President Berkeley-Palma Soriano Sister City Association

Kathryn Albrecht, journalist/writer, Nueva Mexico

Shirley Warren, New Paltz Women In Black

Laurence H. Shoup, author, Wall Street's Think Tank: the Council on Foreign Relations and the Empire of Neoliberal Geopolitics 1976-2014

Nebraskans for Peace

Corinne Willinger, Granny Peace Brigade, NYC Metro Raging Grannies

Lee Robinson, African Awareness Association

Rockford Peace and Justice Action Committee

All-African People's Revolutionary Party (GC)

Meredith Aby, Miinnesota Anti-War Committee

LELO (Legacy of Leadership, Equality and Organizing)

Carl Finamore, Machinist Lodge 1781 delegate, San Francisco Labor Council, AFL-CIO

Kait McIntyre, Chicago Anti-War Committee

Rev. Mother Marcy, founder, Public Intellectuals for Social and Spare Change

Charles Newlin, Coordinating Committee Linn-Benton Pacific Green Party (Oregon)

Bert Hestroffer, International Brotherhood of Teamsters

Marc Becker, Professor of Latin American History, Truman State University

Christine Preble, Ass. Professor and Undergraduate Program Director Department of Latin American, Caribbean, and U.S. Latino Studies, University at Albany, SUNY

Barbara G. Harris, Granny Peace Brigade

Greater Hartford Coalition on Cuba

Michael Martin, Professor, Media School, Indiana University

Sarah Blue, Assistant Professor of Geography, Texas State University

Marcela Vásquez-León, Dir., Center for Latin American Studies, Ass. Professor, Univ. of Arizona

Dianne Post, International Human Rights Attorney, Phoenix, AZ

Ann Eagan, Treasurer, Manhattan Green Party

Francis Shor, Professor Emeritus, History, Wayne State University

Sherry Millner, Professor, CUNY, College of Staten Island.

Lucille Roussin, Prof., Dir. Holocaust Restitution Claims Practicum, Cardozo School of Law(NYC)

Cole Harrison, Executive Director, Massachusetts Peace Action

William H. Slavick, Professor of English, University of Southern Maine (retired)

Alberto N Jones, President Caribbean American Children Foundation, Palm Coast, Florida

Hermann Engelhardt, Senior Research Associate in Geophysics, Emeritus, California Institute of Technology (Cal Tech)

Ken Hayes SOAW-Austin, TX

Mary Ann Jones, Southern Oregon Friends of Cuba

United States Palestinian Community Network (USPCN)

Rob Kall, Publisher,OpEdNews.com

Kim Scipes, Editor ofBuilding Global Labor Solidarity in a Time of Accelerating Globalization

http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/US-Blockade-Cost-Cuba-117-Billion-UN-Reports-20150805-0013.html

Hanson Daniel, Dayne Batten & Harrison Ealey. “It's Time For The U.S. To End Its Senseless Embargo Of Cuba,” Forbes Magazine. http://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2013/01/16/its-time-for-the-u-s-to-end-its-senseless-embargo-of-cuba/

The US International Trade Commission makes a similar estimate:

http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/time-end-cuba-embargo

“By 1992, U.S. businesses had lost over $30 billion in trade over the previous thirty years, according to researchers from Johns Hopkins. At that time, Cuba’s loss for the same period was smaller, but not by much: $28.6 billion, according to Cuba’s Institute of Economic Research.”

http://www.dollarsandsense.org/archives/2009/0309pepper.html

A study by the Cuba Policy Foundation estimated that the annual cost to the US economy could be $4.84 billion in agricultural exports and related economic output. “America's Farmers Bearing Heavy Burden for U.S. Embargo Against Cuba: New Report,” www.cubafoundation.org, Jan. 28, 2002

#Cuba #AntiwarMovement #Americas #GuantanamoBay #tradeEmbargo

Miami, FL – Protesters from many cities converged in Miami on Jan. 9 to demand that the U.S. government close Guantanamo Bay torture prison. The protest coincides with the 14th anniversary of the first transfer of detainees from the so-called “War on Terror” to the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base (Gitmo).

Leaders of the movements against war and political repression travelled from Jacksonville, Tampa, Washington D.C., Chicago, and London, England to protest outside the military headquarters at U.S. Southern Command. SOUTHCOM is in charge of the U.S. torture prison at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base.

Over 70 people gather at the corner of a busy intersection in Doral, Florida where SOUTHCOM is located. Anti-war leaders made powerful speeches condemning the torture, false detention, and imprisonment of the prisoners, all of them Muslim. They called for an end to U.S. wars in Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq as well.

Then the marchers poured into the streets, taking up two lanes of traffic and marching a little over a mile to SOUTHCOM. Cars honked their horns in support as they passed by a giant banner reading, “Shut Down Guantanamo!”

Protesters chanted loudly, “Gitmo. Shut it down!” and “Hey-hey, What do you say? Obama close Guantanamo Bay!” Several wore bright orange jumpsuits; a powerful reminder of the brutal and dehumanizing conditions that detainees face in Guantanamo.

When the protestors reached SOUTHCOM they found that the gates were locked shut with an iron chain, and police vehicles and armed guards blocked the entrance. Unfazed, the group marched right up to the gates, where anti-war activist Medea Benjamin of Code Pink slammed the U.S. government “for its hypocritical actions – claiming to fight terrorism abroad, but at the same time terrorizing and killing civilians with drone strikes, while using illegal detention and torture at Guantanamo.”

English film maker Andy Worthington, known for “Outside the Law: Stories from Guantanamo”, pointed out, “Nearly half of the remaining 104 detainees have been cleared for release by the US government for years now. Obama has no excuses for his failure to shut down Guantanamo.”

Anti-War Committee – Chicago activist Kait McIntyre spoke about her recent trip to a Cuban village just outside the U.S. base at Guantanamo, “Gitmo has a terrible impact on the Cuban people who live near it. It pollutes their water supply with toxic chemicals and denies them the right to fish in their own waters. We need to stand with Cuba and demand that our government returns this land to the Cuban people so that they can do something better with it.”

Asked if she thought rally was a success, Cassia Laham with the local South Florida anti-war group POWIR, said, “Definitely. We didn’t close Gitmo today, but we did bring together a core group of activists from around the country. Together we can build a strong anti-war movement that has the power to stop the 1% and their wars. We’ll keep marching until it’s closed.”

As in years past, the White House renewed its pledge to close the U.S. prison at Guantanamo.

#MiamiFL #AntiwarMovement #PeoplesStruggles #GuantanamoBay #Florida

Miami, FL – Protesters from many cities converged in Miami on Jan. 9 to demand that the U.S. government close Guantanamo Bay torture prison. The protest coincides with the 14th anniversary of the first transfer of detainees from the so-called “War on Terror” to the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base (Gitmo).

Leaders of the movements against war and political repression travelled from Jacksonville, Tampa, Washington D.C., Chicago, and London, England to protest outside the military headquarters at U.S. Southern Command. SOUTHCOM is in charge of the U.S. torture prison at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base.

Over 70 people gather at the corner of a busy intersection in Doral, Florida where SOUTHCOM is located. Anti-war leaders made powerful speeches condemning the torture, false detention, and imprisonment of the prisoners, all of them Muslim. They called for an end to U.S. wars in Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq as well.

Then the marchers poured into the streets, taking up two lanes of traffic and marching a little over a mile to SOUTHCOM. Cars honked their horns in support as they passed by a giant banner reading, “Shut Down Guantanamo!”

Protesters chanted loudly, “Gitmo. Shut it down!” and “Hey-hey, What do you say? Obama close Guantanamo Bay!” Several wore bright orange jumpsuits; a powerful reminder of the brutal and dehumanizing conditions that detainees face in Guantanamo.

When the protestors reached SOUTHCOM they found that the gates were locked shut with an iron chain, and police vehicles and armed guards blocked the entrance. Unfazed, the group marched right up to the gates, where anti-war activist Medea Benjamin of Code Pink slammed the U.S. government “for its hypocritical actions – claiming to fight terrorism abroad, but at the same time terrorizing and killing civilians with drone strikes, while using illegal detention and torture at Guantanamo.”

English film maker Andy Worthington, known for “Outside the Law: Stories from Guantanamo”, pointed out, “Nearly half of the remaining 104 detainees have been cleared for release by the US government for years now. Obama has no excuses for his failure to shut down Guantanamo.”

Anti-War Committee – Chicago activist Kait McIntyre spoke about her recent trip to a Cuban village just outside the U.S. base at Guantanamo, “Gitmo has a terrible impact on the Cuban people who live near it. It pollutes their water supply with toxic chemicals and denies them the right to fish in their own waters. We need to stand with Cuba and demand that our government returns this land to the Cuban people so that they can do something better with it.”

Asked if she thought rally was a success, Cassia Laham with the local South Florida anti-war group POWIR, said, “Definitely. We didn’t close Gitmo today, but we did bring together a core group of activists from around the country. Together we can build a strong anti-war movement that has the power to stop the 1% and their wars. We’ll keep marching until it’s closed.”

As in years past, the White House renewed its pledge to close the U.S. prison at Guantanamo.

#MiamiFL #AntiwarMovement #PeoplesStruggles #GuantanamoBay #Florida

Hundreds of locals came out, including students, teachers, parents, and young children, to hear the statement and to greet the delegates when they arrived in Caimanera to meet with local officials about the effects of the military base on the people. Upon hearing the statement, there were cheers from the crowd and several kids scrambled to collect the names and contact information of the young adult delegates.

Earlier that day, conference participants enjoyed a performance from Guantanamo province’s world-renown children theater company la Colmenita. This performance served as an important reminder that closing down the Guantanamo naval base and ending the economic blockade against Cuba is not only about ensuring justice is served in the present, it is also about ensuring that generations to come value collaboration, creativity and spreading joy.

After the performance, delegates had an opportunity to see Guantanamo naval base from a tower in a local hotel, illustrating that the shadow of Guantanamo naval base is not just an abstract injustice; it is tangible and can be felt throughout the region.

Yet, as the seminar reiterated, it is not just Guantanamo that needs to be shut down. All foreign military bases imposed against the will of the people must be closed and the land returned. It is with this sentiment and energy that the participants of the conference will return to their home countries to continue this important struggle.

#CaimaneraCuba #Caimanera #AntiwarMovement #GuantanamoBay

One presenter, James Jordan, a leader in the Free Simon Trinidad/Ricardo Palmera campaign, delivered a lecture entitled “The Imperial Infrastructure: Why Does the U.S. Build Foreign Military Bases and Jails?” It was well received and tied together several struggles, including opposition to police brutality, the prison-industrial complex, and U.S. intervention.

The following is an interview with Jordan.

What are the connections between the movement to abolish foreign military bases and the Colombian solidarity movement? James Jordan: The obvious connection is there are several U.S. bases in Colombia. However, you also can see the connection in that the Colombian government and its military follow all of the whims, decisions and directions of the U.S. government. So, in some ways, Colombia itself is a U.S. military base. In other words, U.S. military has effectively turned Colombia into an outpost of U.S. imperialism. The Colombian military is able to carry out what the U.S. military can’t get away with.

This is day two of the conference. Thus far, in what ways do you see this event uniting forces from countries around the world to move forward in the movement to abolish foreign military bases? Jordan: What I see coming out of World Peace Council is an emerging campaign to shut down NATO. What hasn’t come together yet, but what I hope this event will lead to, is international days of action against war in Syria and ongoing interventions around the world. This seminar brings together an international movement that I believe will be really sharp against NATO and vocal in the call to dismantle it. I hope it will contribute to and call for worldwide action against aggressions that are leading us to the possibility of World War Three and nuclear conflict.

This seminar comes at a historic moment. Not only are the Cuban and U.S. governments taking steps to normalize relations, but there is also the Colombia peace process happening in Havana, Cuba. How do the National Committee to Free Simon Trinidad / Ricardo Palmera goals intersect with the seminar’s goals? Jordan: The seminar has reiterated support for the peace process in Colombia. This is good because the peace process will not endure without international support. All forces working for world peace must pay attention to these negotiations and raise our voices in support. Adding international voices to the demand to free Simon Trinidad is important and absolutely crucial to moving the peace process forward.

#HavanaCuba #Havana #Colombia #Cuba #GuantanamoBay #SimónTrinidad #fourthInternationalSeminarForPeaceAndAbolitionOfForeignMilitaryBases #JamesJordan #Americas

Jacksonville, FL – 25 protesters gathered at Memorial Park at noon, Jan. 31 to call for an end to U.S. torture practices. The Jacksonville chapter of Veterans for Peace led the rally and demanded the immediate closure of the Guantanamo Bay military base as well as all U.S. torture ‘black sites’ around the world.

Protesters first heard moving words from military veteran Wells Todd, who spoke of the history of U.S. torture techniques and the specifics of how detainees at Guantanamo Bay are treated. Organizers then led a march to U.S. Congressman Ander Crenshaw's office to deliver a letter demanding his support for the efforts to close Guantanamo Bay.

A member of Jacksonville Veterans for Peace stated, “We at the VFP believe these interrogation techniques are morally and legally wrong and are inconsistent with our values as Americans.”

Protesters heard several more speeches before heading to a busy intersection known as Five Points. Veterans on bullhorns led protesters with chants such as “Close Gitmo now,” “Hey hey ho ho, Guantanamo has got to go,” and “One, two, three, four, Obama close those prison doors. Five, six, seven, eight, stop the torture, stop the hate.”

“The March Against Torture rally put on by the Veterans for Peace was something that was really needed here in Jacksonville. It's so important to stand united against the oppression of basic human rights. As Americans, we are not okay with that and we want those responsible to stand trial for their war crimes,” said protester Dannelle Leigh.

The march closed out at Memorial Park with protesters pledging to support future Jacksonville Veterans for Peace actions.

#JacksonvilleFl #JacksonvilleFL #AntiwarMovement #PeoplesStruggles #GuantanamoBay #VeteransForPeace #Florida #Gitmo

Doral, FL- In spite of pouring rain, nearly 70 people took to the streets near Miami, Jan. 11 demanding the immediate closure of the U.S. prisons at Guantanamo Bay. The march took place on the 13th anniversary since the prison doors at Guantanamo Bay Detention center first opened. Protesters marched for over a mile on the busy streets of South Florida’s industrial district until they arrived at the gates of U.S. Southern Command, the headquarters and control center for Guantanamo Bay.

“For 13 years the U.S. has kept Guantanamo open, wrongly imprisoned innocent people and tortured them, all under the pretense of fighting terrorism,” said Conor Munro, a lead organizer with POWIR, an anti-war group that helped organize the protest. “It’s time the U.S. shut down the entire military base at Guantanamo and give the land back to the Cuban people.”

“The U.S. erases the reality of torture by punishing victims of torture, like Palestinian American women’s leader Rasmea Odeh in Chicago!” explained Holly Kent-Payne, with the Committee to Stop FBI Repression. Rasmea Odeh, tortured and raped by the Israeli military 40 years ago, is facing sentencing in a Detroit court after an unfair trial.

Kent-Payne continued, “The same is true for the prisoners at Guantanamo, whose existence as prisoners of war is officially denied by the U.S. government. Meanwhile the real perpetrators of war and torture in Washington D.C. are let off the hook.”

The demonstration began at the corner of NW 36th Street and NW 87th Avenue, where community members gathered with signs reading, “End the torture,” and “Close down the torture prison now!” People also wore art displays by internationally-renowned protest artist Huong that read “No to torture,” and “Shut it down.” The colorfully painted wooden signs brought the Miami art scene to the streets. Passing drivers honked enthusiastically in support of the protesters and a few passersby grabbed signs and joined in the rally. After 30 minutes of sign-waving, the crowd took to the streets shouting, “Close Gitmo now!”

City of Doral Police were out in force, as well as federal security agents who followed the protesters from start to finish in black cars with tinted windows, taking pictures. What was meant to intimidate protesters only emboldened them, as they faced the police and security officials’ cars with their signs.

After 40 minutes of marching and chanting, the demonstrators finally converged at their target – the U.S. Southern Command. The secluded command center, where the U.S. military and intelligence agencies make plans and give directions, is home to the joint operations in charge of the prisons and military base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Once they arrived, protesters got to hear speeches by prominent leaders in the national and local anti-war movements.

“Spend money on jobs and education, not for torture and occupation,” said Jonathan Waring, a member of the University of Florida Students for a Democratic Society.

Protesters called on the U.S. government to address seven specific demands, including the immediate closure of the prisons, ending all torture of prisoners and repatriating all innocent prisoners and their families upon release.

“Change will finally come and the U.S. will shut down this house of torture,” said Dave Gibson from War vs Human Needs.

Protests took place simultaneously in several locations throughout the country, including Washington, D.C. and California. The march in Miami was organized by a coalition of anti-war and pro-justice groups, including: POWIR, War vs Human Needs, National Lawyers Guild, Green Party of Broward County and Students for Justice in Palestine.

#DoralFL #AntiwarMovement #GuantanamoBay #PoliticalPrisoners #PoliticalRepression #POWIR

Miami, FL – Following the recent CIA torture report, determined activists in Florida are gearing up for the annual march and protest to shut down the U.S. torture prison at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba. Anti-war leaders expect hundreds will protest outside the gates of the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) on Jan. 11 in Doral, Florida, which is located near Miami. Notable speakers from across the country include Nancy Mancias of CodePink!, Camilo Mejia of Veterans for Peace and Holly Kent-Payne of Chicago with the Committee to Stop FBI Repression.

“We need to continue to oppose U.S. torture of citizens and non-citizens alike. The detention centers at Guantanamo Bay are symbols of oppression and violence and must be shut down,” said Pamela Maldonado, an organizer with People’s Opposition to War, Imperialism, and Racism (POWIR). “Our pressure has already forced the U.S. to begin repatriating prisoners to other countries and safer locations. We won’t stop until the prisons are closed for good.”

The six demands of those organizing the protest are: 1) Shut down Guantanamo Bay now, 2) End the torture of prisoners, 3) Stop force-feeding hunger-strikers, 4) Release detainees who have not been charged with crimes, 5) Transfer cases to federal court if legitimate evidence exists, 6) Repatriate freed detainees or provide asylum for those who need it and 7) Repatriate the families of those who were wrongfully detained.

The U.S. military base at Guantanamo serves as a place to torture and to dispose of Muslims and Arabs in the U.S. ‘War on Terror.’ It also violates Cuba’s sovereignty, as it projects U.S. empire into the Caribbean and South America. SOUTHCOM is a branch of the U.S. Department of Defense and controls Guantanamo Bay. The purpose of SOUTHCOM is to coordinate military, intelligence and naval missions throughout Latin America in order for the U.S. and Wall Street to dominate and exploit other countries.

SOUTHCOM orchestrates low-intensity wars, terror attacks and destabilization campaigns in Latin America, as currently witnessed in Colombia, Honduras and Venezuela. SOUTHCOM’s General John F. Kelly sits on the Board of Visitors that oversees the School of the Americas (renamed WHINSEC after a torture scandal) in Fort Benning, Georgia. U.S. military personnel train Colombian military officers to run violent paramilitary groups that kill and disappear people, referred to as “false positives”. These U.S.-trained death squads kill thousands of Colombians each year, especially targeting progressives and labor leaders.

Groups organizing the Jan. 11 march include POWIR, Occupy Miami, Al-Awda, National Lawyers Guild and Students for a Democratic Society. The rally begins at 2:00 p.m. with a march through downtown Doral to the gates of SOUTHCOM. Some protesters will wear orange prison jumpsuits like the prisoners of war. Water will be provided.

More information can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1497404423866684/?ref=br_tf

#MiamiFL #GuantanamoBay #Gitmo

Doral, FL – Over 100 protesters rallied near U.S. Southern Command here, Jan. 11, to demand an end to the torture and abuse being carried out in Guantanamo Bay. Many of the protesters came from nearby cities like Fort Lauderdale and Miami, and some came from as far away as California and Michigan to demand that President Obama close down Guantanamo Bay for good.

The rally was organized by South Florida-based POWIR – People’s Opposition to War, Imperialism, and Racism. The anti-war group formed a coalition with several groups to lead the protest, including Code Pink, Students for a Democratic Society and Veterans for Peace. The protest marked 12 years of the U.S. sending prisoners to Guantanamo Bay, a trend which started shortly after the ‘war on terror’ began.

Protesters began by assembling near a busy intersection approximately one mile from U.S. Southern Command. As people gathered, they brought signs that read “12 years too many” and “Stop the torture now! Close Guantanamo!” Protest organizers led militant chants such as, “Obama we don’t want your shame, no more torture in our name!” and “I don’t know what I’ve been told, we’ll keep marching till its closed! We are marching here to say: Obama close Guantanamo Bay!” The chants won a lot of support and honks from nearby cars. From there, protest organizers began the march to SouthCom by leading the people into the streets, even though the police denied that their permit protected the rights of the protesters to march in the streets. But the organizers were experienced and knew that the cops weren’t worth being worried about and marched into the streets anyways.

The march took up a full lane of traffic on the way to SouthCom. The lead banner read “Close Guantanamo now!” and listed the demands of the protesters. Once the march reached SouthCom, protesters dressed in the signature orange jumpsuits that prisoners at Guantanamo are forced to wear knelt down, blocking the entrance to SouthCom. The rest of the activists gathered behind the orange jumpsuits and also blocked the entrance. Speakers from Code Pink, Students for a Democratic Society, Progressive Democrats of America, Students for Justice in Palestine, POWIR, Freedom Road Socialist Organization and the Committee to Stop FBI Repression condemned the U.S. for keeping Guantanamo open and demanded it be closed and the prisoners released.

POWIR founder and protest organizer Cassia Laham told the crowd, “For half of my life, 12 years, Guantanamo has been allowed to exist – all as part of some warped strategy to win some ill-defined U.S.-fabricated war on terror. A war that knows no boundaries, no rules and no end. But who knows better than the U.S. what terror really means? Terror is the nearly 100,000 Iraqis who have been slaughtered by American bombs, terror is the thousands of Afghan children who have been murdered and raped and tortured… We stand here to today to say no to war, no to political repression, no to indefinite detention, no to torture and no to Guantanamo!”

#DoralFL #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #GuantanamoBay #FreedomRoadSocialistOrganization #USSouthernCommand #antiwar #USImperialism #InjusticeSystem #CodePink #POWIR

Washington, DC – On May 23, U.S. President Barack Obama delivered a speech at the National Defense University, supposedly outlining changes to the ‘counter-terrorism’ policy of the U.S. While the U.S. media hailed the speech as a significant change from the War on Terror policies of the Bush administration that carried into Obama’s first term, the president’s speech mostly doubled-down on the drone strikes and military actions that have brought death and destruction to people in the Middle East.

The Boston Marathon bombing last month, along with the Congressional Republicans’ probe into the U.S. Embassy attack in Benghazi, Libya last year, almost certainly motivated the president’s speech. More pressing was the May 22 admission by Attorney General Eric Holder that drone strikes killed four U.S. citizens, including three civilians, since Obama took office in 2009.

Putting Obama’s speech in this context is important because it reveals an administration desperate to justify its violent military actions to the U.S. people, who overwhelmingly oppose the government’s policy of perpetual war and occupation. Despite saber-rattling against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Syrian Arab Republic, a New York Times/CBS poll found nearly 77% of people in the U.S. oppose U.S. military action against the DPRK and about 62% feel the U.S. should not intervene in Syria.

The Obama Doctrine

Obama’s speech included a full-throated defense of drone strikes. Disturbingly, the speech all but wrote off the hundreds – if not thousands – of civilians who died from U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen and other nations. Obama claimed that as president, he “must weigh these heartbreaking tragedies [civilian causalities from drone strikes] against the alternatives.” He followed this assertion with the equally bizarre justification, “Let us remember that the terrorists we are after target civilians.” This is the Barack Doctrine: To save the civilians who would die in terrorist attacks, we need to kill them before the terrorists do.

Although the U.S. media already clamors over the very minor changes to the president’s drone program – the Los Angeles Times called it “throttling back on drones” – these changes will do little to nothing in reducing civilian casualties. The president calls for tougher standards when deciding to launch drone strikes. This requires “a near certainty that no civilians will be killed or injured,” according to White House staff.

However, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) classifies all military-age male casualties of drone strikes as ‘militants’ unless they find evidence to the contrary after their death, according to a 2012 report by the Stanford International Human Rights & Conflict Resolution Clinic called Living With Drones. The Brookings Institution estimated in a 2009 report that drone strikes killed nearly ten civilians for every one militant, but the CIA’s deceptive method of reporting deaths masks the real horrors committed on everyday people in countries like Pakistan. By not acknowledging the full scope of civilian death or the bad reporting methods on drone casualties, Obama implies no reason to expect an end to the slaughter of innocent people.

For his part, Obama suggested a return to the pre-9/11 counter-terrorism policies that marked Bill Clinton’s administration. This should provide scant comfort for anyone who opposes the U.S. policy of war and occupation. President Clinton’s foreign policy was marked with the death of nearly a million Iraqi children as a result of the brutal sanctions infamously defended by then-Secretary of State Madeline Albright. Under Clinton, the U.S. launched military strikes in Sudan and Afghanistan and sent U.S. troops into Somalia. Clinton’s administration oversaw the dismemberment of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, culminating in the 1999 NATO bombing of Bosnia with civilian deaths mounting to 5700, according to Human Rights Watch. Clinton worked with the brutal monarchy in Saudi Arabia to place more military bases in the Persian Gulf and tighten the U.S. grip on the Middle East’s oil. Despite tactical differences, the Clinton and Bush presidencies oversaw the deaths of nearly a million Iraqis each.

Obama’s speech included support for the French invasion and occupation of Mali, but it made no mention of the U.S.-orchestrated NATO bombing of Libya in 2011. Facing continued investigation by the House Republicans for the U.S. Embassy attack in Benghazi, the president wants to avoid touting his full-fledged support for the so-called Libyan ‘rebellion,’ which was led largely by al-Qaeda affiliates who later carried out the embassy attack.

With the stroke of a speechwriter’s pen, the President revised history on national television with his claim, “unrest in the Arab World has also allowed extremists to gain a foothold in countries like Libya and Syria.” Of course, he avoids mentioning the most damning fact of all: the U.S. funded and armed this ‘unrest’ in Libya and continues supporting the ‘rebels’ in Syria, in alliance with the Israeli government and the Saudi monarchy.

Code Pink interrupts Obama’s speech

Near the end of his speech, the president attempted to blame Congress for his broken campaign promise to close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay. At this point, Medea Benjamin, the co-founder of the anti-war organization Code Pink, interrupted President Obama and pointed out his broken campaign promise to close Guantanamo Bay. Benjamin also criticized his administration’s use of drone strikes. The U.S. media lashed out at Benjamin for interrupting Obama and ignored the fact that her points were correct.

While Congress has blocked the president’s ability to transfer prisoners to the U.S. – a move that Obama supported by signing the 2011 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) – Obama has the ability to release the 86 prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay, which effectively closes the facility. Of course, prior to the NDAA, Obama could have closed Guantanamo Bay like he pledged to do early in his first term. As Benjamin pointed out during her pointed exchange with the president, Obama has shown a willingness and enthusiasm for the indefinite detention policies of the Bush administration – the same policies he decried during his run for the White House in 2008.

After the speech, Benjamin said this in an interview with Common Dreams: “While I have received a deluge of support, there are others, including journalists, who have called me ‘rude.’ But terrorizing villages with Hellfire missiles that vaporize innocent people is rude.” She continued, “Violating the sovereignty of nations like Pakistan is rude. Keeping 86 prisoners in Guantanamo long after they have been cleared for release is rude. Shoving feeding tubes down prisoners' throats instead of giving them justice is certainly rude.” The latter is a reference to the Obama administration’s forced end to a hunger strike launched by Guantanamo Bay prisoners.

Plenty of commentators in the U.S. corporate media praised Obama’s speech and blasted Benjamin’s courageous stand against drone strikes. However, all of the president’s rhetoric does not change the fundamentally violent nature of the U.S. imperialist system. Well into his second term, Obama has no excuses remaining to explain his full-embrace of the Bush era policies, and the anti-war movement is beckoning for answers.

#WashingtonDC #AntiwarMovement #GuantanamoBay #WarOnTerrorism #drones #CodePink

Senior Ben Zabel explained what happened, “We chose to put on an informative display concerning the human rights abuses taking place in Guantanamo Bay. The main feature of the demonstration was me dressing up as a Guantanamo Bay prisoner in the schools cafeteria. Midway through the demonstration, Jefferson’s principal, Mr. Hill, demanded that we stop the demonstration immediately. I refused and was suspended for insubordination. This is an abuse of the school’s administrative authority and this is a blatant example of censorship of political dissent.”

Zabel asked principal Hill to discuss the issue in front of the other Youth Against War and Racism students and to have a public dialogue about what their rights to speech are at school, instead of having a private discussion in Hill’s office. Another student, senior Nick Groenke, photographed Zabel and Hill’s interaction and the guerrilla theatre. Principal Hill demanded Groenke’s BlackBerry. Hill threatened that if Groenke refused to turn over his BlackBerry he would be suspended. After Groenke gave the BlackBerry to the principal, the principal erased the photographs.

“This is just another incident in the administration’s ongoing campaign of intimidation, but we won’t be silenced. We have the right to talk about and organize against human rights abuses and the war on Iraq,” explained Groenke. Students have repeatedly been threatened with suspension for their efforts to pass out flyers and to organize participation in several city-wide walk outs. This is the first actual suspension of a Jefferson YAWR activist for organizing efforts.

#BloomingtonMN #AntiwarMovement #News #Cuba #Iraq #GuantanamoBay #humanRights #torture