On Wednesday 11 January 2012, Colm Roddy and I turned up outside the US Embassy in Ballsbridge to make our little protest on the tenth anniversary of Guantanamo prison opening by the US Government. . There were only two of us at this particular time - we stayed from 12.30pm to 2 pm. The ever ready Colm was suitably dressed in Guantanamo outfit, I was not. Colm knelt for about an hour on the street facing the Embassy

There was little reaction from the public who saw us, one man stopped for a minute, another gave the thumbs up signal, one young woman said Thank you. A boy ran across the road to get an explanation and shouted it out to his ten companions.

By a stroke of luck the Ambassador, Dan Rooney, was eating a snack and, as he returned to te Embassy flanked by two men, he walked straight towards me. As he finished reading my sign, I said "Mr Rooney, I have a letter here for you". He turned his head to one side and as one of the men moved toward me I said "Will you accept this letter from me?" handing the letter in his direction. He told the second man to take it.. And so it was delivered.

Unprepared as I was, I had had to handwrite the following letter on the way to the Embassy:
______________________________________

"Dear Ambassador Dan

We are protesting at the United States Embassy today on the tenth anniversary of the opening of Guantanamo prison. President Obama gave a solemn undertaking to close it - why is it still open? The shame of the Bush era clings to your President and will take many years or decades to undo.

With best personal wishes"
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There were countless protests against Guantanamo prison throughout the US and the world today and possibly others in Ireland. A very dedicated group "Witness against Torture" are linked below.
Related Link:  http://2012.witnesstorture.org/2012_dayeight