[torture] UPDATE ON YESTERDAY'S ARRESTS AT THE SUPREME COURT

[david meieran]

UPDATE ON YESTERDAY'S ARRESTS AT THE SUPREME COURT

January 12, 2008 - 82 people were arrested at the U.S. Supreme Court
yesterday as part of Witness Against Torture's January 11th action to
Shut Down Guantánamo to mark six years of unjust imprisonment and
abuse for the men held in Guantánamo. About half were arrested inside
the U.S. Supreme Court; the others were arrested on the steps of the
Court.

As of 8pm, Saturday, all 82 people have been released. Many of the
arrestees were denied food and water for most of the 30-some hours
they were detained.

46 pled not guilty are going back to trial. Some people got cited and
released and have yet to receive arraignment - so even more could be
going to trial.

About 70 of those arrested withheld their legal name and instead gave
the name of a detainee upon arrest. Today in court they gave their
legal name but stated that their arrest on behalf of a detainee. Thus
one of the main goals for the action was achieved because a number the
court dockets as well as individual citations now have one of the
detainees' names on them.

People were charged with "unlawful free speech on supreme court
grounds."  People who were arrested inside the building received an
additional charge of  "causing a harangue within the supreme court."

Arrestees included: people from all over the country; teenagers and
octogenarians; first time arrestees; members of the Witness Against
Torture's original delegation that walked to Guantanámo to visit the
prisoners; and Dorothy Day's granddaughter, Martha Hennesey.

The arrests followed a solemn march from the National Mall of 400
persons that included a procession of activists dressed like the
Guantánamo prisoners in orange jumpsuits and black hoods. The
procession, in turn, was preceded with a short rally at the Mall
organized by Amnesty International, National Religious Campaign
Against Torture and Witness Against Torture. The event was part of an
International Day of Action that was endorsed by over 100 groups and
that included 83 events around the world.

Witness Against Torture would like to thank everyone who helped make
yesterday's action the success that it was. Your prayers, your
participation, your endorsements, your publicity and of course your
financial support are all deeply appreciated. (If you haven't yet make
a donation to Witness Against Torture and would like to do so, please
visit our website to donate on-line or else send a check made out to
"Witness Against Torture" to Mary House Catholic Worker, 55 E. Third
Street, New York, NY 10003.)

Photos, videos and press clippings will be posted to
www.witnesstorture.org in the coming days, so please check our website
regularly.

Witness Against Torture
http://www.torture.org
info at witnesstorture.org