WarCriminalsWatch Events

No Place On Campus for War Criminals!

EVENT:  Protest demonstration; street theater; public information at the 2009 Commencement Ceremonies for Berkeley Law (Boalt Hall)

WHERE:  UC Berkeley:  Greek Theater (commencement) and Great Hall and Clark Kerr Courtyard (gala reception)

WHEN:  Saturday, May 16, 2009, 8:00 AM onward

The organization WORLD CAN’T WAIT has announced it will bring a large anti-torture
protest demonstration to the 2009 graduation ceremonies at UC’s Berkeley Law (Boalt
Hall), denouncing the continuing presence of former Bush administration lawyer John
Yoo on UC’s tenured faculty.

Joined by protesters from other organizations and the UC community, World Can’t Wait
calls for John Yoo to be prosecuted for torture, as a war crime and a crime against
humanity.

One year after a similar large protest at Boalt’s 2008 graduation, World Can’t Wait
organizers say they will call for John Yoo’s prosecution, disbarment, and his firing
from the university for his role in crafting torture memos for the Bush
administration.  They point to the extensive revelations that have continued to
pour out showing the construction of a torture apparatus and policies, spearheaded
from the top of the Bush administration, and to the growing public outcry in
response.

“This year, we will even more emphasize the shameless role of Boalt’s Dean,
Christopher Edley, who continues to shamelessly protect John Yoo against
investigation and prosecution, while he allows Yoo to teach and influence the future
generation of lawyers and judges,” said World Can’t Wait organizer Curt Wechsler.

Protesters plan to be outside the Greek Theater as the graduation processional
approaches.  They say their focus is to expose the refusal of those in power to take
responsibility for repudiating torture, and for bringing the torturers to justice.
Organizers anticipate that many graduates and faculty members will express support
for this message.

World Can’t Wait’s Stephanie Tang explained: “Many members of the legal community,
including at UC, are outraged by the work of the Torture Team -- Yoo, Bybee, Rice,
Rumsfeld, Cheney and Bush.  What does it signal, that the horrors of the torture
chamber now sit squarely at the center of American power in the world?  We invite
students, graduates, their families, alumni, and UC faculty and staff to do
everything they can inside the graduation to join with the protest outside.”

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