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Indybay Feature

Protest Torture and Detainment in Union Square January 11

by David Roknich (roknich (at) electromagnet.us)
no_gitmo.jpgThursday January 11, 2007 is the 5th anniversary of illegal detention at Guantánamo Naval Base. Build your own Gitmo cage, and join the nationwide protests! Events are being coordinated by Witness Against Torture. They also have provided complete instructions for the "Gitmo cage" shown in the protest at right.

Plans are being made for an action in San Fransisco, Thursday afternoon, January 11, at Union square.
Contact Henry Norr, henry (at) norr.com

An in-depth presentation is online at
http://www.witnesstorture.org/
If you can raise $300 for materials, you can build yourself a replica of the infamous Gitmo Cage: the type of housing that victims of torture and illegal detention have come to expect from the USA.

The Gitmo Cage is an artifact of a war against humanity that can be displayed as a sustained protest. Weeks ago, with little fanfare, congress stripped these prisoners of their rights to judicial process. It is urgent that we get the attention of the Democratic majority and demand that they act on the mandate they have received from the people:

We must reverse the WAR OF ERROR! It degrades our humanity each day it continues. Nothing less than a SUSTAINED protest will suffice. Witness Against Torture provides a list of THINGS YOU CAN DO Complete instructions for BUILDING A GITMO CAGE follow:

If you have questions about this, you can contact info(at)witnesstorture.org. Direct the message to Gary or Mike. Happy building!

Material List:

  • 23) 2 x 3 x 96 studs $41
  • 20) 10 foot rebar (these will be cut into 40 5 foot sections) $85
  • 1) 24 x 48 Nursery Cart $80
  • 1) 4' x 6' Ondura Red Roof $15
  • 1) 7/16 OSB 4' x 8' sheet $10
  • 18) 4 ½ x ¼ carriage bolts $6
  • 4) 4 x ¼ carriage bolts $1.50
  • 22) Wing nuts $4.50
  • 1) 3/4 rigid EMT electrical conduit, 10' length $15
  • 3) 4 hinges w/ removable pins $4.50
  • 1) fence latch $10
  • 1) 1# 2 ½ screws $3.50
  • 1) wood glue $3
  • 1) U-bolt $2
  • 1) 1 gallon grey paint (try oops paint section) $5-20
  • 1) ½# 1 5/8 sheeting or drywall screws. $3.50
  • 1) 4' length of chain. Your choice of guage. $10
  • TOTAL COST +- $300.00

Tool List:

  • Drill
  • Hammer
  • 5/8 paddle bit (for holes for rebar)
  • ¼ drill bit (for holes for carriage bolts)
  • 3/32 drill bit (for pilot holes)
  • Screw driver (Phillips)
  • Hacksaw (or a portable band saw or abrasive saw for cutting metal)
  • Wood Chisel
  • Marking Tool (pencil)
  • Tape Measure
  • Square
  • Chalk Box
  • Cart assembly tools (refer to instructions from manufacturer)
  • Ingenuity or a pipe bender. Ingenuity is preferable.

Building Instructions:

  1. Cut rebar to 5' lengths except for (7) pieces that will need to be 58 ½ long.
  2. Cut (8) 2 x 3 studs to 60 (These will be the vertical framing members)
  3. Cut (10) 2 x 3 studs to 69 (6 of these will be the horizontal framing members for the long walls, 4 will be for floor)
  4. Cut (7) 2 x 3 studs to 40 (These will be the horizontal framing members for the short walls)
  5. Cut (1) 2 x 3 stud to 48 ¼ (This will support the top of the walls by the door)
  6. Cut (1) 2 x 3 stud to make (2) 4' lengths (This is for framing the floor)
  7. Cut 4' x 8' OSB sheet to 4' x 6'
  8. Assemble cart
  9. Stack (3) 69 horizontal framing members evenly on top of one another. Clamp together. Mark every 5 at center of board for drilling.
  10. Drill all through the three stacked 2 x 3 at same time with 5/8 paddle bit (you might want to use an extension for the bit). See photo below:

Check the calendar on their site for marches, movie screenings and non-violent direct actions, and add your own event.

Updates forthcoming

DOGSPOT

I'm afraid the information posted by David Roknich about plans for San Francisco protests on the fifth anniversary of the Guantanamo detention camp is not quite accurate. We have scheduled a free film showing on Thursday, Jan. 11 - the stunning docu-drama "The Road to Guantanamo" at 7:30 pm at the SF Friends Center, 65 Ninth St. (near Mission St, a block from Civic Center BART) - but no demonstration that day.

The New York Times called the movie "amazing – a film of staggering force" - don't miss it.

The demo we _are_ planning is a "participatory protest" - street theater, leafletting, music, a reading of the names of detainees, other non-violent adventures - on Saturday, Jan. 13 from 1-3 pm in Union Sq. Wear orange and bring musical instruments if you can. If you want to build your own Guantanamo-style cage, as David Roknich suggests, that's cool, but we already have one (lighter and less expensive than what he describes, and it will be there, along with a bunch of orange jumpsuits for folks who might want to be part of the theatrics. In case of rain, meet at Powell St. BART, in the unpaid area of the station.

Both events are co-sponsored by Act Against Torture, the American Friends Service Committee, Amnesty International, and Presente!

Sorry for the confusion - I don't know David Roknich (as far as I know), and I don't know where he got the inaccurate info he posted.

In any case, please turn out on Jan. 11 at 7:30 pm and on Jan. 13, 1-3 pm, and please spread the word among family, friends, and coworkers. By themselves events like these are certainly not going to turn things around, but this is part of an international campaign to put this issue on the agenda, and in our case it's a chance to put a little heat on Nancy Pelosi. If nothing else, coming will give you something to cite with pride when your children or grandchildren ask what you did to stop Bush et al. from kidnapping and torturing people all over the world...

Shut down Guantanamo and all secret prisons!
Stop torture, indefinite detention, and extraordinary rendition!
Repeal the Military Commissions Act of 2006!

For more information on the Bay Area events: go to http://www.actagainsttorture.org

For information on the International Day of Action to Shut Down Guantanamo: http://www.witnesstorture.org

For background on "The Road to Guantanamo": http://www.roadtoguantanamomovie.com
Add Your Comments

Comments (Hide Comments)
by roknich (roknich (at) electromagnet.us)
I'm glad I gave the right email address in the story ! It's been a full year since I've been on the coast, and now I'm in Illinois. I got most of my info from Witness Against Torture, as you can tell, including your email address. I noticed it didn't match up with the calendar info at indybay, so I thought I should upload what I had. The plans for the Gitmo cage impressed me, and I hope that I'm not the only one who will consider this. I think I know a few people who may want to get together to build one. How to present it may pose some challenges. David Roknich
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