Dec. 8: Berkeley City Council Votes on Resolution Critical of John Yoo

Silence In a Time of Torture Signifies Tacit Approval
Public Hearing & Vote Monday, December 8, 2008 before Berkeley, CA City Council

A message in support of a Berkeley City Council Resolution on John Yoo:

The Berkeley Peace and Justice Commission’s recommendation to the City Council presents an important call for all Americans to stand in opposition to abetting John Yoo, University of California professor and author of the “Torture Memos” which were key to the establishment of a system of state torture. This Resolution calls for John Yoo to be prosecuted for war crimes and dismissed from his position as Professor of Law at Boalt Hall. The ramifications of the Resolution ensure that torture is not tolerated in the city of Berkeley and will serve as a model for other communities’ efforts to hold high administration officials of torture to account. The passage of the John Yoo Resolution presents a critical step in investigating the codification, implementation, and acceleration of the authorization of torture-a responsible step that must now be taken to call for the end of torture as a pillar for endless war.

FireJohnYoo.org, a member of the No To Torture – John Yoo Must Go Coalition, supports the Commission’s John Yoo Resolution and asks organizations and individual advocates to do the same. Fire John Yoo encourages directly contacting city council members to support the Resolution, and to visibly stand and speak out against torture before the City Council on December 8th. If you are unable to attend the Public Hearing, please write a statement that can be submitted to the Council. By taking these actions, we can have an enormous impact on the direction the U.S. will take in honoring its commitment to rescind the use of torture.

People of conscience demand the removal of John Yoo, legal architect of the Bush Regime’s torture policies, from the employ of the University of California. How will the community of Berkeley respond when someone asks: “What did you do during this time?

Linda Rigas
JD Candidate, New England School of Law, Boston, Massachusetts
Member of FireJohnYoo.org
Legal Intern, Physicans for Human Rights

Public Hearing Monday, December 8, 2008
2134 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way
City Council Meetings begin at 7:00 PM

A copy of the Peace and Justice Commission recommendation can be found at http://tinyurl.com/65oruh (see “Attachment #1”).

Write and call Berkeley City Council Members to show your support for recommended actions against John Yoo, Legal Advisor to the Bush administration and author of memos giving the green light for torture:

Mayor Tom Bates                       mayor@CityofBerkeley.info              (510) 981-7100
District 1    Linda Maio               lmaio@CityofBerkeley.info               (510) 981-7110
District 2    Darryl Moore            dmoore@CityofBerkeley.info           (510) 981-7120
District 3    Max Anderson          manderson@CityofBerkeley.info    (510) 981-7130
District 4    Jesse Arreguin        jarreguin@CityofBerkeley.info         (510) 981-7140
District 5    Laurie Capitelli       lcapitelli@CityofBerkeley.info           (510) 981-7150
District 6    Susan Wengraf       swengraf@CityofBerkeley.info         (510) 981-7160
District 7    Kriss Worthington  kworthington@CityofBerkeley.info   (510) 981-7170
District 8    Gordon Wozniak    gwozniak@CityofBerkeley.info          (510) 981-7180

The Mayor and Council Members may be reached by mail at: 2180 Milvia Street, Berkeley, 94704.