Witness Against Torture

Jack writes...

Razia and I joined the Fast Against Torture on Monday - we met Kathy Kelly
in Chicago Sunday and took Amtrak, arriving Monday afternoon with the fast
already rolling. Me missed a press conference which, everyone was
surprised, was very well covered, especially by foreign press. There are
over 100 fasters, about 35 living at St. Steven's Episcopalian Church, on
the floor in sleeping bags. Needless to say,, some fascinating people are
here, and some good activist friends from the DC area. A lot of Catholic
Workers, from here and New York, also, and this is hopefull, a lot of
young people.

The fast will only go 2 weeks, but a lot more activities are being planned
for an on-going protest against torture in general and the Guantanamo
prison in particular. Yesterday we started (everywhere we go means a
subway trip (METRO) and walking the rest of the way) at teh Friends
Committee on National Legislation, with some tips on lobbying, then went
to different senator's offices - friendly to the issue only -- like
Bernie Sanders, Dellums, and some others, The senate is not in session so
the intent was to talk to the aids. I'm going with Razia, Kathy Kelly and
some others to Dick Durbin's office today. Kathy & Razia dropped in on
Roland Burris' office and had a favorable meeting with one of his aids. I
walked up and down on the 4th floor at the Hart Senate Office Bldg. for 2
hours wearing an orange jump suite with a Guantanamo prisoner's name and
"CLEARED FOR RELEASE" on my back. It was powerful, there were about 15
doing it, each with a "watch person." A guard stopped me, asked what I
was doing, then took my name. There were then guards all over but none of
us were stopped. The building has a central atrium and every time I
reached a spot that looked out over it I could always spot 1, 2 or even 4
at one time, walking on the different floors. Then about 40 of us at
least, probably 20 in jump suites stood in front of the White House
(actually it's a pale yellow) for an hour.

The fast is going fine, and It's not the strict kind I was on a few year
ago, I think everybody - including me!, is drinking juice. It was bitter
cold yesterday but today it seems be a bit warmer, I just stuck my head
outside. Today it's more lobbying and probably some more "Ghost
Walking," that's what we called what we did at the Hart Bldg. yesterday.
I'll sign off now and will keep you posted. Jack