Activists held two Seattle demonstrations on Jan. 11 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the opening of Guantanamo Bay prison camp in Cuba and the Bagram prison camp in Afghanistan.
The Washington State Religious Campaign Against Torture, Amnesty International, Code Pink Washington and the Washington Fellowship of Reconciliation held a silent vigil at the Jackson Federal Building.
A speak-out and march organized by Occupy Seattle followed the vigil. Afterward, a group of about 15 protesters marched to the Seattle Democratic Party headquarters to protest Guantanamo Bay prison and the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act, which critics say contains provisions that could give the U.S. the right to detain innocent people without giving them a trial.
Protesters said prisoners at Guantanamo Bay and Bagram prisons are being denied both habeas corpus rights and the protections of the Geneva Convention Treaty.
About 40 people came to the vigil and held candles and signs. Jorge Quiroga held a sign that read, "Torture is a war crime, prosecute war crimes."
Jamie Mayerfeld, who teaches political science at the University of Washington, held a poster with a picture of Ahmed Adnan Ajam, a Syrian national who has been held in Guantanamo since 2002 without charges.