Video credit: Joe Friendly

Text of Debra Sweet's Introductory Remarks

We’re here today because it is unbelievably 21 years since the Bush/Cheney regime set up a prison outside the law in Cuba known as Guantanamo, where they locked up 779 men over these 20 some years. For what reason?  To show the rest of the world that they were in charge and could hold people with no charges, no redress, no due process for all of these years. And, indeed, 35 men are still in Guantanamo.

Many, many people around the world have those men in their hearts and we do too. Many many people in the United States think Guantanamo is so yesterday! Is it even still open? Didn't they close that?  I thought Obama closed it? Wait a minute, Biden says he’s gonna close it! What the heck is going on? It's 21 years and we are demanding that prison – that torture camp set up by the United States – be closed immediately.  And those men who are still held without charge – who were tortured – receive justice. And then all those men who were “freed” and thrown around the world in all directions without support.  And most importantly,  without even a damn apology for what was done to them…  being held with no charges! We are out here today to say they deserve the support and the justice they never received...

That's what happened. There are so many stories, and we have people here today to show these stories! I do want to highlight and call out the 20 men who are in Guantanamo today having been promised they would be released so long ago when Obama was in  charge. They’re still there..  Even that is a screaming injustice and so we are joining with people all over the globe today to raise the same demand:  Close Guantanamo Now!

Funds were raised for the Guantanamo Survivors Fund and are still needed. Please contribute here!