Activist Tutorial: Taking the Reality of Guantanamo Bay to Leadership High School in San Francisco
World Can’t Wait supporters helped organize a teach-in on January 9 featuring revolutionary journalist Larry Everest. 4 teachers brought their advisory classes (about 60 students total) to a large room for the presentation. On January 11, over 50 students (out of 200 in the school) at Leadership wore orange to school, and 6 students showed up for the orange jumpsuit march down Market Street , bringing energy and militancy to the protest. Students write about it:
“Would you guys be surprised if I told you that what’s going on in Guantanamo would affect your whole future?” Yes. “It’s a surprise because you’re being lied to by the media and the government.” Larry continued: “Do you think Americans’ lives are more important than other people’s lives?” Except for one student trying to be a smart ass, all the students say No. “Should people from another country, or another religion, or people who aren’t white, be subjected to things that white
Americans aren’t?” No. This set the tone of serious engagement that continued for the rest of the presentation. Students were rowdy at first, but before long you could hear a pin drop.
Larry called for volunteers. A bunch of students step to the front of the class. They are getting into it now. “Imagine” here we are in San Francisco , in school, and all of a sudden a hundred thousand heavily armed troops from Afghanistan parachute into your country.” Larry points to one of the students: “You’re in a gang. Put on a jumpsuit..” He takes money out of his wallet and offers it to students to snitch out their friends, citing the ACLU statistics that 95% of Guantanamo detainees were turned over to the U.S. for money. Pointing to another student, “Someone turned you in. Get in a jumpsuit. They said you were in a gang.”
Soon, all the volunteers were in jumpsuits, and the room was in suspense. “We don’t tell you anything, you don’t get a phone call, or a lawyer, you don’t get to talk to your mom. We just tell you to come with us or we’ll kill you. You can’t see anything or hear anything. You don’t know what’s happening to you and you don’t know when it’s going to end.” One courageous volunteer lies down on one of the tables as Larry describes what it’s like to be waterboarded….read the whole story and learn what a difference it makes if students know what is being done in our names. VIDEO at the Guantanamo protest in San Francisco.
STAY tuned for plans on THURSDAY January 31 for “No Business as Usual” protest around the country v. the whole Bush program. Read the Call. Here are a plans for several cities:
New York City begins 12:30 pm at Columbus Circle with a waterboarding demonstration by professional actors, and a theatrical march toward Times Square.
Chicago begins 12:00 pm at the STATE OF ILLINOIS BUILDING. 100 people in orange jumpsuits! Waterboarding Demonstration! PROTEST FEMA, ICE and DEPT of HOMELAND SECURITY! ACT TO PREVENT AN ATTACK ON IRAN!
Los Angeles: In a city where millions of immigrants face increased attacks, including raids and deportations, we call on all who oppose this anti-immigrant assault to plan for creative protest on Jan. 31 at the ICE (Immigration & Customs Enforcement) and Homeland Security offices.