CODEPINK Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 8, 2015

Contact:

Alli McCracken, CODEPINK National Coordinator, [email protected], 860-575-5692

Medea Benjamin, CODEPINK Co-founder, [email protected], 415-235-6517

CODEPINK and Witness Against Torture Staging “Torturers Tour” at Homes of John Brennan and Dick Cheney, Followed by Vigil at CIA Headquarters;

Activists Call for Prosecution of Torturers and Closure of Guantanamo Prison

Washington DC -- On Saturday, January 10th, the eve of the anniversary Guantanamo Bay Prison’s opening, anti-torture activists from human rights groups CODEPINK and Witness Against Torture will gather to demonstrate at the homes of high-ranking officials who have previously authorized torture. These officials include former VP Dick Cheney and current Director of the CIA John Brennan. Activists will then hold a vigil at the CIA headquarters in Virginia. Between 30-60 protesters are expected to attend, most wearing orange Guantanamo-style prison orange jumpsuits and black hoods.

Schedule of events for Saturday, January 10, 2015:

8:00am: Meet at Frying Pan National Park in Herdon, VA

8:10: Leave park for John Brennan's house right down the road (13351 Point Rider Lane, Herndon VA)

9:00: Leave John Brennan's house

9:30: Arrive at Dick Cheney's house (1126 Chain Bridge Road, McLean, VA)

10:00: Leave Dick Cheney's house to go to CIA (1000 Colonial Farm Road, McLean, VA)

10:10-11:30: CIA Protest and Vigil

“The release of the Torture Report at the end of 2014 exposed the American government’s horrific human rights record,” said Alli McCracken, National Coordinator of the peace group CODEPINK. “The war criminals who lied about torture, and are getting away with it, should be prosecuted and Guantanamo prison must be closed now.”

"Giving a pass to yesterday's torturers, like Dick Cheney, by failing to prosecute them," said Witness Against Torture organizer Jeremy Varon, "gives a green light to tomorrow's torturers and may doom the United States to repeating this awful crime.  We the people can judge Cheney and others for what they did, in hopes that the law might soon as well."

“Dick Cheney has not only justified the US use of torture, but has said he’d do it all over again,” said CODEPINK cofounder Medea Benjamin. “We’re going to his house, and John Brennan’s house, to show that there are Americans who have moral values and are disgusted that these ‘leaders’ are not behind bars.”

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