Thursday, June 25, 2009, has been designated Torture Accountability Action Day by a large coalition of human rights groups planning rallies and marches in major U.S. cities, including a rally in Washington, D.C.'s John Marshall Park at 11 a.m. followed by a noon march to the Justice Department where some participants will risk arrest in nonviolent protest if a special prosecutor for torture is not appointed.

http://accountability4torture.com

Events are planned in Washington, D.C.; San Francisco, CA; Pasadena, CA; Thousand Oaks, CA; Boston, MA; Salt Lake City, UT; Seattle, WA; Portland, OR; Las Vegas, NV; Honolulu, HI; Tampa, FL; Philadelphia, PA; and Anchorage, AK, with details available online:

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In Washington, D.C., groups will maintain literature tables from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at John Marshall Park, 501 Pennsylvania Ave. NW.  A rally will begin at 11 a.m. with speakers including:

* Marjorie Cohn, President of the National Lawyers Guild, professor at Thomas Jefferson School of Law;

* Njambi Good, Director of Counter Terror with Justice Campaign, Amnesty International USA;

* Enver Masud, Founder and CEO of The Wisdom Fund, recipient of the 2002 Gold Award from the Human Rights Foundation for his book "The War on Islam";

* Max Obuszewski, member of the National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance;

* Marcus Raskin, Cofounder of the Institute for Policy Studies;

* Patricio Rice, torture survivor;

* Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, Cofounder of the Partnership for Civil Justice;

* Kevin Zeese, Director of VotersForPeace.US, Board Member of VelvetRevolution.US.

With performances by Jordan Page, Tha Truth, and David Ippolito.

Participants will march at noon to the Department of Justice, where some but not all of the participating organizations will engage in nonviolent resistance if the Attorney General has not yet agreed to appoint a special prosecutor for torture.  (Some of the organizations sponsoring the day of rallies do not engage in civil disobedience.)

In Pasadena, Calif., at 12 p.m. PT citizens will submit a formal judicial misconduct complaint against 9th Circuit Judge Jay Bybee, former Assistant Attorney General in the Office of Legal Counsel: Courthouse steps, Chambers Courthouse, 125 South Grand Ave., Pasadena, CA 91105.

Statement of Purpose:

The highest officials in our government have trampled on our traditional ideals of making America a nation of laws, not of men, by illegally narrowing the scope of torture and authorizing waterboarding, walling, and other inhumane interrogation techniques. In doing so, they have violated the Anti-Torture Act, the War Crimes Act, the Geneva Conventions, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the Convention Against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment.

In order to enforce our laws and restore the free society that our forefathers envisioned, citizens must demand accountability for abuses of the laws pertaining to torture. In the tradition of the Civil Rights movement, change will not occur unless citizens stand up for their rights under the law.

Torture Accountability Action Day Is Sponsored By:

Action Center for Justice

    After Downing Street

    Amnesty International

    Bryn Mawr Peace Coalition

    BuzzFlash

    Coalition for Peace Action

    Code Pink

    Consumers for Peace

    Democrats.com

    Eldoradans Against Torture

    Global Exchange

    High Road for Human Rights

    Hip Hop Caucus

    Historians Against the War

    IndictBushNow

    Individuals for Justice

    Marcus Raskin

    National Accountability Network

    National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance

    NJ Peace Action

    NJ People's Organization for Progress

    Northern Virginians for Peace and Justice

    Polygraph Radio

    Peace Action

    Peace and Justice Forums Billings Montana

    Portland Peaceful Response Coalition

    Progressive Democrats of America

    Project Vote Count

    School of the Americas Watch

    Senior Action Network

    The Torture Abolition Survivors Support Coalition

    US Labor Against War

    Veterans for Peace

    War Criminals Watch

    Washington Peace Center

    We Are Change LA

    Witness Against Torture

    World Can't Wait

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Author's Bio: David Swanson is the author of the upcoming book "Daybreak: Undoing the Imperial Presidency and Forming a More Perfect Union" by Seven Stories Press and of the introduction to "The 35 Articles of Impeachment and the Case for Prosecuting George W. Bush" published by Feral House and available at Amazon.com. Swanson holds a master's degree in philosophy from the University of Virginia. He has worked as a newspaper reporter and as a communications director, with jobs including press secretary for Dennis Kucinich's 2004 presidential campaign, media coordinator for the International Labor Communications Association, and three years as communications coordinator for ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now. Swanson is Co-Founder of AfterDowningStreet.org, creator of ConvictBushCheney.org and Washington Director of Democrats.com, a board member of Progressive Democrats of America, the Backbone Campaign, and Voters for Peace, a convenor of the legislative working group of United for Peace and Justice, and chair of the accountability and prosecution working group of United for Peace and Justice.

www.opednews.com/articles/Rallies-Around-U-S-To-Dem-by-David-Swanson-090622-605.html