From World Can’t Wait, Hawai’i
Signs reading “Torture is a War Crime! Prosecute!”, “Stop Torture”, “Prosecute Bybee”, “Bye-Bye Bybee”, “Impeach the Torture Judge” lined Bishop Street in the heart of downtown Honolulu where Bybee was hearing Hawai`i cases being appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. Some banners and signs were brilliant orange; some had been hastily scrawled on banker’s box covers or pieces of cardboard. Pedestrians asked “Who’s Bybee?” and the conversations began.
A homeless man muttered: “The big guys always get away with it”. An office clerk who came down from offices above to “check out the hullabaloo” read the leaflet and commented: “In this building? How can that be? That’s terrible!” She carefully folded up the leaflet and said she’d post it on the office bulletin board. A protester who entered a nearby business noticed the Bybee leaflet on the refrigerator. A security guard argued that waterboarding wasn’t torture and a mainstream journalist interviewing activists turned and asked him: “You want me to waterboard YOU?” Many simply thanked us – but not all. A student from a downtown university specializing in military studies ran out a feeble argument claiming that memos weren’t laws. A military officer sneered “You people are insane. You don’t even know what torture is.”
By 9am protesters moved from the sidewalk to the front doors of the marble downtown office building where the hearing was being held to hold a press conference. Claiming the building was “private property”, security called for back-up from the Honolulu Police Department. A phalanx of police immediately appeared but quickly backed down when it was suggested that they speak with an ACLU attorney who was present. An impromptu press conference was held. Some made a legal argument against torture; others spoke to the immorality of torture. Statements were spontaneous and heartfelt.
Media representatives from TV stations, print media, and public radio interviewed passers-by and protesters throughout the morning. At the end of an interview a journalist teared up, put his mic away, and said: “Thanks for doing this. You’re doing it for all of us.” The interviewee responded, “But all of you have to join the movement to prosecute the torturers. Your humanity demands it!”
At the end of the press conference a call went out to everyone to begin building for May 28th. It’s too early to know how the protest was covered on the news, or how broadly word got out about the protest, but at the end of the morning it was clear that this is just the beginning, and that we’re now a part of a national movement to hound and prosecute the war criminals. We’re depending on others living in cities where 9th Circuit cases are heard to continue to hound him wherever he goes.
To spk2moi,
What a good little German you are…oh I’m sorry I forgot its 2009 in the good ol’ U.S. of A and not the 1940’s Nazi Germany (although its easy to get the two confused with people like you putting your stamp of approval on torture). What a good little American you are, but there ain’t much to be said for your humanity.
Thank you, Debra Sweet and all the volunteers, for your hard work and sensible approach to this serious matter. Keep up the good work in presenting THE TRUTH to the American citizens and people around the world. Let them know that WE, THE PEOPLE, are not cruel, inhumane barbarians, but that we, too, want to see ALL the persons responsible for these illegal acts and war crimes punished to the full extent of the law. Only by exposing these outrageous acts and the persons responsible for them, and by purging our government of these criminals, can we begin to show the world that WE, THE PEOPLE, DO CARE about the lives, sufferings and deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent people around the world. Only then, can we begin to travel down the long road to true peace and prosperity in our troubled world.
spk2moi Too bad you’re so narrow minded. Not only are they torturing the Bad guys BUT good guys as well who don’t deserve to be tortured or captured and not have any representation. SO the next time One of yur family members is caught up in a terrorist pick up we’ll just them get tortured until they say what the captures want to hear and then still hold them for a couple more years enduring MORE!
You guys truly are lunatick. When your wife, your son, your daughter are killed in the next terrorist attack—because there will be more—you can ask, “Could that attack have been prevented but for the mealy-mouthed policies of this new administration who so wants to be loved in the world?” Only you in your heart of hearts can answer. And yes, I guess I’m pro-torture if you ask me if I would allow THREE avowed American-hating terrorists to be waterboarded in order to prevent more terrorist attacks. We know of a Los Angeles plot that was dismantled as a result of this harsh, harsh questioning. You guys need to get a life. And quit embarrassing this country. The terrorists are laughing that we feel guilty putting them into a box with a caterpillar. So am I!