GUANTANAMO

MESSAGE FROM AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL (USA)

www.amnestyusa.org/events

PHOTO  www.examiner.com

"Will you help us keep our New Year's resolutions to close Guantánamo and abolish the death penalty in 2012? On January 11th, Amnesty activists all across the West are marking the 10th anniversary of Guantánamo by joining the National Day of Action Against Guantánamo and calling for an end to indefinite detention and unfair trials. On MLK weekend, Amnesty activists in California are getting involved with the SAFE CA campaign's "Weekend of Action" to honor the legacy of Dr. King and end death sentences in our state.

Help us kick off 2012 by joining us for these historic efforts! Please check out the events listed below, or find other human rights events near you by visiting: www.amnestyusa.org/events."

Happy New Year!
Rini Chakraborty
Western Regional Director
Amnesty International USA

California (Northern)

What:		National Day of Action Against Guantánamo
When:		Wednesday, January 11 at noon
Where:		San Francisco, CA Get specific event location
Description:		Please join us on the 10th anniversary of Guantánamo for a protest and rally in San Francisco as 171 individuals - each representing a detainee still held at Guantánamo - form a human chain in front of the Federal Building and Courthouse. Help us show elected officials that citizens demand closure of Guantánamo and an end to unlawful detentions and human rights violations! Please wear orange or black, and bring signs that say "10 Years Too Many: No Guantánamo. No Torture. No Excuses!" For more information or to RSVP, please email Angela at amnestywest6@aiusa.org or contact Amnesty's Western Regional Office at (415) 288-1800.

What:		"Weekend of Action" to Honor Dr. King and End the Death Penalty in California
When:		Saturday-Monday, January 14-16
Where:		Various locations across the state Get specific event location
Description:		AIUSA is teaming up with the SAFE CA campaign, California NAACP, Reverend Jesse Jackson, and other civil rights leaders to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by ending death sentences in our state. Please join us January 14-16th for a "Weekend of Action" to participate in MLK events statewide and gather signatures to qualify the SAFE California Act for the November 2012 ballot. For more information or to RSVP, please contact Field Organizer William Butkus at wbutkus@aiusa.org or (415) 288-1800.

California (Southern)

What:		National Day of Action Against Guantánamo
When:		Wednesday, January 11
Where:		Los Angeles, CA Get specific event location
Description:		This international day of protest marks the 10th anniversary of the Guantánamo prison and the human rights violations it represents, including torture, detention without charge, unfair trials, Islamaphobia, and impunity for crimes by US government officials. Join Amnesty International USA, Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace, CAIR-LA and other human rights organizations as we call for the immediate closure of Guantánamo. A silent vigil and press conference will be held at 9 a.m. at the Downtown Los Angeles Federal Building, located at Temple and Los Angeles Streets. The press conference will be followed by a flash mob at noon at Bruin Plaza on the UCLA Campus. The day will conclude with a rally from 4:00-5:30 p.m. at the Westwood Federal Building, located at Wilshire Blvd and Veteran Ave. in Westwood.

What:		"A Day ON for Human Rights" to Honor Dr. King and End the Death Penalty in California
When:		Sunday, January 15 from 9am to 4pm
Where:		ACLU of Southern California Get specific event location
Description:		In honor of Dr. King's legacy, Amnesty USA activists in the greater Los Angeles Metro area will be dedicating Sunday, January 15th as a "Day ON for Human Rights." The "Day ON" will start with a general meet and greet and strategy session with LA Amnesty Activists. At noon, activists will be trained around messaging and signature gathering for the SAFE CA Campaign to end the death penalty in California. Directly following the training, activists will head into the field in team to collect signatures for the SAFE CA Campaign. After gathering signatures, teams will converge back at the ACLU office for a debrief and "Thank You" pizza party.

Washington

What:		National Day of Action Against Guantánamo
When:		Wednesday, January 11
Where:		Seattle, WA Get specific event location
Description:		Join Washington State Religious Campaign Against Torture, Western Washington Fellowship of Reconciliation, Code Pink, ACLU of Washington, and other justice activists in marking the 10 year anniversary of the arrival of prisoners at Guantánamo. We will hold a candlelight vigil at the Jackson Federal Building on 2nd Avenue between Madison and Marion, 5:00-6:00pm. For more information contact Sara at (415)288-1800 or sschmidt@aiusa.org.