Wednesday September 23: A Day Of Action And Art Against Torture

Wednesday September 23: A DAY OF ACTION AND ART AGAINST TORTURE

Event: First court appearance: protesters arrested at John Yoo’s first day of class

When: Rally at 8:30 AM, Court appearance at 9:00 AM. CANCELLED

Event: Protest: Fire John Yoo! Speak Out Against Torture

Where: UC Berkeley, Sproul Plaza

When: Noon to 2 PM

Event: Welcoming The Abu Ghraib Series and Artist Fernando Botero

Where: Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way, Berkeley (meet us outside and inside)

When: 5:00 PM (Mr. Botero speaks at 6:00 PM)

BERKELEY– Protesters continue to denounce former Bush administration lawyer John Yoo, calling him a war criminal. Citing Yoo’s work in the Office of Legal Counsel as “legal architect of the Bush-Cheney torture state,” they call for Yoo to be fired by UC, disbarred, and prosecuted for war crimes.

World Can’t Wait organizer Stephanie Tang said today: “Without John Yoo’s work as a legal handyman, the Bush regime simply would not have been able to set up its torture program. Lives have been shattered and lost because of Yoo’s willingness to help his clients break the law.”

Tang and three others were arrested outside Yoo’s classroom on August 17 as Yoo returned to his UC Berkeley Law teaching post from a semester away. All four will appear in Alameda County court earlier Wednesday morning to face criminal charges. . [AP photo of Tang confronting Yoo here, scroll to #14: here.] “It’s the torturers like John Yoo, Cheney, Rice, Haynes, Bybee, and Bush himself who should be arrested – not the people of conscience working to end the torture,” Tang said.

And on the opening day of the Berkeley Art Museum’s exhibit of The Abu Ghraib Series, the paintings of world-renowned artist Fernando Botero, the artist himself will appear “In Conversation” with BAM/PFA Director Lawrence Rinder. At 5 PM World Can’t Wait and other anti-torture activists will again gather at the Museum – this time, to welcome and honor Mr. Botero and this important exhibit.

Giovanni Jackson of World Can’t Wait explained: “We’re very happy that with this gift of his art Fernando Botero is honoring Berkeley for its historic role in the arena of free speech. We ask every student, professor, and dean to visit these paintings –to think deeply about the reality that inspired them –and to consider the meaning of ‘morality’ in a world where torture is permitted. Then they need to join us – to end it. We all need to refuse to be part of war crimes, or complicit with them in any way.”