The U.S. prison facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba will enter its 10th year of operation on Tuesday January 11, 2011. The prison currently holds about 170 detainees. On January 22, 2009, President Obama signed an executive order to close the camp. His priority to shutter the camp has since faded.

CODEPINK will join Witness Against Torture in Washington DC to protest the President's refusal to close the prison camp at Guantanamo. In Miami, local activists including CODEPINK will protest outside the U.S. Southern Command, the command center for the prison camp.

Please join us on January 11!
Come to Washington DC, Miami and participate, or plan an event in your own community. Unite the world and let thousands of people know about events happening in your town! Even organize your own events and share them with the world! Your submitted event will be shared on our website, register your event here!

Action Ideas

Looking for some ideas for your January 11th action? We've collected some of our favorites here. Whatever you choose to do just remember to plan a time for taking an action photo that visibly displays the banner.

  • Walk, March, or Rally:
    You can coordinate a solidarity march wearing orange jumpsuits and carry a banner with one of our suggested slogans like "CLOSE GUANTANAMO" or "Broken Promises". You may even want to have all marchers spell out "Close Gitmo". Consider marching across a bridge in your city, rally outside a Federal Building, or another symbolic place. Don't forget a banner and a camera!

  • Candlelight vigil:
    Candles make a subtle and beautiful display. Find an public location (City Plaza, Federal Building -- you know your community) and read the names of the detainees. Don't forget your "Close Guantanamo" banner.

  • Organize a dinner and movie night:
    Eating is one of the easiest ways to bring people together. Host a dinner with food from the Middle East or Central Asia. Ask your friends to bring something along, so you don't need to cook all week. Set aside time to watch "Road to Guantanamo" -- download it for free. Before or after the meal explain the latest on Guantanamo with information from the Center of Constitutional Rights website, and then link it all together with a group photo at the dinner table with a "Close Guantanamo" banner.

  • Read a Play:
    "Guantanamo - Honor Bound To Defend Freedom" ,is a dramatic play filled with testimony from detainee family members, prison lawyers and detainees. Read all or half of the play with members of your group taking on different character roles, read the play in a private or public location and hold a discussion afterward.

  • Twitter:
    Use your smart phone, laptop, or an Internet café to share updates on or your solidarity actions! Use hashtag #closegitmo to be included in the www.witnesstorture.org tweetstream.

  • Flickr:
    Share your photos of the Jan. 11th event by uploading your best pictures to the CODEPINK Flickr group. To submit, upload the photos to your personal account. Your photos might not show up right away. If you have trouble uploading or submitting your photos, send an email to nancymancias@codepink.org and she’ll upload your photos for you.

  • <<<<<NEW>>>> Literature:
    Print out this downloadable tri-fold flyer, and take it to your event and distribute to audience and passers-by.

  • Tell us about your event:
    Post it to the local spotlight! Or email nancymancias@codepink.org.

Past CODEPINK Close Guantanamo Actions: