Wearing black hoods and orange clothing of detainees at Guantanamo prison members of the DeKalb Interfaith Network for Peace and Justice called attention to the suffering of the detainees at Guantanamo prison. The demonstration supported the international call for ending torture and shutting down the controversial prison.  January 11 has been designated as an International Day against Torture.  On January 11 six years ago is when the first detainees arrived at Guantanamo Bay.

"Guantanamo should never have been opened," proclaimed Rev. Jane Ann Moore, retired UCC minister, who with her husband Rev. Bill Moore addressed the group afterwards.  She said, "Guantanamo stands as a symbol of our illegal use of torture...of cruel, degrading, inhuman treatment.[which] ruins lives, makes reconciliation more difficult and peace almost  impossible." 

Rev. Bill Moore spoke of the importance of citizen action to change government policies and declared, "Torture is wrong, revenge is wrong, and abuse of power is wrong, abuse of power is wrong, they don’t work and they bend our society out of shape".  He indicated pride in his neighbors in this community for demonstrating against torture and declared, "Standing up together tonight you have helped bend our society back into shape.  I am proud of each and every one of you."

The local group has conducted weekly peace vigils at the spot every Friday afternoon at 5 p.m. since December 7, 2001.  Concerned residents are all welcome to participate in the vigil and in the brief peace circle which follows.