no- not a happy anniversary

 You can celebrate this anniversary by attending one of several events with Witness Against Torture -- most are virtual:

Stalwarts from Maine to an island off the Washington State coast will stand in orange jump suits on Tuesday January 11 commemorating this 20th year of the gulag.  

• Find a vigil near you or check out what's being posted/livestreamed. (Click here or see events listed below).
• You can still send us information about YOUR local action, to witnesstorture@gmail.com (subject line: Jan 11 Event in [your town]) and we'll post it. 
• Send us photos during your event (witnesstorture@gmailcom) and we'll post them. On J11, follow us on social media for photos of local actions around the country.
• And wherever you are, please be vaccinated and wear a mask. 

The White House in Washington  DC
What: Close Guantanamo Rally to Mark 20 Years
Who: Local Witness Against Torture folks joined by local activists from other groups
When: Tuesday January 11 noon to 1 pm ET (gather at 11:30) 
Where: If you live in the DC area, join us In front of the White House on Pennsylvania Ave.  Bring your orange jump suit and hood; we'll have more.  Please be vaccinated and wear a mask. We'll livestream the rally for those of you from away, and then stay online for the 2 pm virtual vigil listed below. 

Tiffin, Ohio
What: Close Guantanamo Rally: 20 years - Still No Justice
Who: Tiffin Area Pax Christi
When: Friday, January 7 from 3 to 4 pm ET
Where: Seneca County Courthouse, 103 E. Market St., Tiffin, OH 44883

Los Angeles, CA (2 events)
1. What: Annual Close Guantanamo Now Rally.  In-person & streamed. 
Who: Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace (ICUJP), WAT and others
When: Tuesday January 11 at noon PT
Where: Downtown Los Angeles Federal Building, 300 N. Los Angeles St. 90012 (in front)
2. What: Online panel discussion featuring film maker Philippe Diaz, Guantanamo Bar member Michael Rapkin, and Marcy Winograd of Code Pink
When: Tuesday Jan 11 at 5 pm PT

Raleigh, North Carolina
What: Close Guantanamo Vigil to commemorate 20 years since the opening of Guantánamo prison
Who: North Carolina Stop Torture Now
When: Tuesday, January 11 from 1 to 2 pm ET
Where: The Federal Building at New Bern Avenue and Person St in Raleigh. Please wear a mask.  Orange jumpsuits and black hoods are very welcome.  Please come and bring family and friends.

Asheville, North Carolina
What: Join WAT and Veterans for Peace, Asheville Chapter #099, as they vigil at Asheville Pack Square
When: Tuesday, January 11, 4:30 to 5:30 pm ET.

Orcas Island, Washington
What: Activists on Orcas Island, a stones-throw from Canada, will meet ferry arrival traffic in orange jump suits.  
When: Tuesday, January 11
Where: Eastsound, WA, on the roadside, either at the ferry arrival or at the main street intersection.
 
20th Anniversary 2 pm Virtual Rally
What: Disrupt, Confront, and Close Guantánamo This virtual rally is a call for all of us to disrupt and confront the status quo that has kept Guantánamo open and to imagine and chart a path toward finally ending and abolishing the prison and all that it represents.
Who: WAT, CCR and others
When:  Tuesday, January 11, at 2 pm ET 

National Religious Campaign Against Torture Webinar
What: Guantanamo 20 Years on: A Religious Perspective
Who:  The Episcopal Church and National Religious Campaign Against Torture 
Speakers: Dr. Shaun Casey, Georgetown University; The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry, Presiding Bishop and Primate, Episcopal Church; Matt Hawthorne, NRCAT
When: Tuesday, January 11, 3 pm ET

New York City
What: In-person rally Close Guantanamo Now! 20 Years Too Long! 
Who: Organized by The World Can't Wait, co-sponsored by WAT
When: Tuesday January 11, from 4 to 6 pm ET
Where: New York Public Library steps, 5th Avenue @ 41st Street

Augusta, Maine
What: Vigil and walk to mark the 20th year since the opening of the Guantánamo Bay
Who: Pax Christi Maine, PeaceAction Maine, Witness Against Torture
When: Date change: Saturday, January 15 at noon ET
Where: We will vigil in front of the Augusta National Guard Armory, at the intersection of Route 202 and Armory Street, and then process to the Capitol.

Boston, Massachusetts
What: Rally at Park St Station. Will distribute stash of Close Guantánamo t-shirts, signs, orange jumpsuits and black hoods.  Will be very cold so dress accordingly.  Come prepared to speak if you like.  
When: Tuesday, January 11 from 1 to 2 pm ET
 

---

And many more Close Guantanamo events in January

Guantanamo Clock
What: One-person vigils multiplied!  Add your photo to Andy Worthington’s Gitmo Clock to mark January 11, when Guantanamo will have been opened for 7,306 days.  
When: Send your photo now!

CAGE: International Witness Campaign (IWC)
What: IWC has gathered partners around the globe to commemorate 2 decades of the War on Terror and remember the millions of people affected across the globe, with four demands and in-person and online events around the world.  
When: Through January 11, 2022

European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) Webinar
What: Rupture and Reckoning: 20 years of Guantánamo Anthology and Digital Art Exhibition Launch
Panelists: Mohamedou Ould Slahi, former Guantánamo detainee; Katherine Gallagher, CCR; Wolfgang Kaleck, ECCHR.  ECCHR will be launching a digital art exhibition and anthology, which includes contributions from current and former detainees, lawyers, advocates, and artists.
When: Tuesday January 11, 11 am to 1 pm ET 

Amnesty International Multiple Educational and Action Events 
What: Outreach to members, especially youth: Call-in to White House (Members will be sent link to leave message); Poster contest for youth; Quiz for young people
When: Tuesday January 11, 2022