Gitmo Clock 8000 Days Photos
15 of the nearly 170 photos we received, marking 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay on December 6, 2023.
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By Andy Worthington
On Dec. 6, 2023, the shameful and unjustifiable prison at Guantánamo Bay had been open for 8,000 days, and this page features over 80 photos from former prisoners, lawyers, politicians and campaigners around the world (and particularly in the U.S. and the U.K.) calling for its closure. Because of the unprecedented response to this photo campaign, I've just set up a second page, featuring nearly 90 more photos.
The campaigners took photos with the poster marking 8,000 days, part of an ongoing photo campaign via our Gitmo Clock website, which counts in real time how long Guantánamo has been open.
The campaign began on January 11, 2018, the 16th anniversary of the opening of Guantánamo, when Donald Trump was president, and when the prison had been open for 5,845 days, and it has continued ever since, marking every 100 days in the prison's bleak and unforgivable history.
Please join us to mark the 22nd anniversary of the opening of Guantánamo, on Jan. 11, 2024, when it will have been open for 8,036 days. Please send your photos to info@closeguantanamo.org.
Please also see here for photos from, and a report about the coordinated global vigils that also took place across the U.S. and around the world on December 6.
Today, Dec. 6, 2023, marks 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, and former prisoner Abdellatif Nasser calls on President Biden to close it without further delay, and says, "Many thanks for giving me this opportunity to do something for those brothers still held."
Today, Dec. 6, 2023, marks 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, and former prisoner Ahmed Errachidi calls on President Biden to close it without further delay, and says, of his amended poster, "I had to express myself."
Today, Dec. 6, 2023, marks 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, and former prisoner Mohamedou Ould Slahi calls on President Biden to close it without further delay.
Today, Dec. 6, 2023, marks 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, and former prisoner Mansoor Adayfi calls on President Biden to close it without further delay.
Today, Dec. 6, 2023, marks 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, and, in the European Parliament in Brussels, the independent Irish MEPs Clare Daly and Mick Wallace call on President Biden to close it without further delay.
Today, Dec. 6, 2023, marks 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, and, in London, Andy Worthington, the co-founder of Close Guantánamo, says, "President Biden, today is a truly shameful milestone in the bleak history of Guantánamo. You have just 410 days left to make a difference. Find homes as swiftly as possible for the 16 men, out of the 30 still held, who have been approved for release, and take some definitive steps towards closing the prison before your presidency ends."
Campaigners outside the White House in Washington, D.C., as part of the monthly coordinated global vigils for the closure of Guantánamo that have been happening all year. Five regular campaigners took part: Judith Kelly, Art Laffin, Steve Lane, Frank Panopoulos and Helen Schietinger.
Clive Stafford Smith, who has represented dozens of the men held at Guantánamo, outside the White House.
Amnesty International campaigners in Copenhagen, Denmark, as part of the monthly coordinated global vigils for the closure of Guantánamo that have been happening all year.
Campaigners in Parliament Square, London, as part of the monthly coordinated global vigils for the closure of Guantánamo that have been happening all year.
Curt Wechsler of The World Can't Wait and Gavrilah Wells of Amnesty International outside the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco, as part of the monthly coordinated global vigils for the closure of Guantánamo that have been happening all year (Photo: Phil Pasquini, Staff photographer, Washington Report on Middle East Affairs).
Today, Dec. 6, 2023, marks 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, and Todd Pierce, former military defense attorney in Guantánamo's military commissions, calls on President Biden to close the prison without further delay.
Campaigners in Brussels, with 8,000 days posters, at an evening vigil marking 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay.
Jeanne Ghislaine, in Brussels, marks 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay on December 6, 2023, and calls on President Biden to close the prison without further delay.
Natalia Rivera Scott, in Mexico City, marks 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay on December 6, 2023, and calls on President Biden to close the prison without further delay. Natalia's poster is a Spanish translation prepared by Ed Charles, who runs the World Can't Wait's Spanish website.
In Oakland, California, Ed Charles, the editor of the World Can't Wait's Spanish website, marks 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, and calls on President Biden to close the prison without further delay. Ed also has a Spanish poster, and a Spanish version of the poster showing how long the 16 men approved for release have been held since the U.S. authorities decided that they no longer wanted to hold them.
Today, Dec. 6, 2023, marks 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, and, in the U.K., Cameron Noble calls on President Biden to close the prison without further delay.
Today, Dec. 6, 2023, marks 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, and, in the U.K., Yasmin Noble calls on President Biden to close the prison without further delay.
Today, Dec. 6, 2023, marks 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, and, in the U.K., Khandan Lolaki-Noble, a member of the U.K. Guantánamo Network, calls on President Biden to close the prison without further delay.
Today, Dec. 6, 2023, marks 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, and, in the U.K., Scott Noble calls on President Biden to close the prison without further delay.
Tim Lind in Three Rivers, Michigan calls for the closure of Guantánamo.
Suzanne Lind in Three Rivers, Michigan calls for the closure of Guantánamo.
Steve Lane in Bethesda, Maryland says, "President Biden: We currently imprison sixteen innocent men at Guantánamo Bay, some for more than 14 years after we found them to be innocent, at a cost of over $200 million a year. The cost to our international reputation is impossible to measure. Terrorists point to Gitmo and say to possible recruits, 'America doesn’t mean it when they say "Liberty and Justice for All." Here, use this bomb to help us drive them out.' There is nothing positive about keeping Guantánamo Bay open. Please release the innocent men we keep there, bring the rest to trial, and then close it for good."
William Hudon, professor of history (emeritus) at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania calls for the closure of Guantánamo.
Today, Dec. 6, 2023, marks 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, and here's another photo of the independent Irish MEPs Clare Daly and Mick Wallace, in the European Parliament in Brussels, with their assistants, calling on President Biden to close the prison without further delay.
Today, Dec. 6, 2023, marks 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, and Ashley Blasczyk, in the U.S., calls on President Biden to close the prison without further delay.
Today, Dec. 6, 2023, marks 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, and Josie Setzler, of Witness Against Torture, calls on President Biden to close the prison without further delay.
Richie Marini of The World Can't Wait, photographed at a vigil outside the New York Public Library on Fifth Avenue in New York City, part of the monthly coordinated global vigils for the closure of Guantánamo that have been happening all year. The three photos below are also from this vigil.
Today, Dec. 6, 2023, marks 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, and Kathy Niece, in Grand Island, Nebraska calls on President Biden to close the prison without further delay.
Brittany Cooper, the Executive Director of Nebraskans for Peace in Lincoln, Nebraska calls on President Biden to close Guantánamo without further delay on Dec. 6, 2023, marking 8,000 days of the existence of the prison.
Today, Dec. 6, 2023, marks 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, and Maggie Ballard, in Nebraska calls on President Biden to close the prison without further delay.
Today, Dec. 6, 2023, marks 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, and Brian Winters, in North Carolina calls on President Biden to close the prison without further delay.
Today, Dec. 6, 2023, marks 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, and Susan McLucas, in Somerville, MA says, "It is so shameful that Guantánamo is still open."
Today, Dec. 6, 2023, marks 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, and Aaron Tovo, in Minneapolis calls on President Biden to close the prison without further delay.
Dorrine Marshall in Irvine, California marks 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay on December 6, 2023, and calls the prison "America's enduring shame."
Albert Valencia in Irvine, California marks 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay on December 6, 2023, and calls on President Biden to close the prison without further delay.
Marking 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, on December 6, 2023, Bernard Sullivan, a member of the U.K. Guantánamo Network, sent this photo of himself and his wife Susie, below, and stated, "Susie Sullivan and I have been involved in campaigning on behalf of Guantánamo detainees since 2015. We hope this year will be a turning point and that President Biden will show the courage and determination to remove one huge stain on America's human rights record and allow many innocent men to rebuild their shattered lives."
Susie Sullivan.
Marking 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, on December 6, 2023, Dominique O'Neill, of the Amnesty Kent Network, calls on President Biden to close the prison without further delay.
Marking 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, on December 6, 2023, Hugh Sandeman, the co-convenor of the U.K. Guantánamo Network, calls on President Biden to close the prison without further delay.
Marking 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, on December 6, 2023, Professor Susan Edwards, of the U.K. Guantánamo Network, calls on President Biden to close the prison without further delay.
Marking 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, on December 6, 2023, Deepa Govindarajan Driver, an academic and trade unionist, calls on President Biden to close the prison without further delay at a vigil for the closure of Guantánamo in Parliament Square, London, one of the monthly coordinated global vigils for the closure of Guantánamo that have been happening all year.
Marking 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, on December 6, 2023, Sara Birch, the co-convenor of the U.K. Guantánamo Network, calls on President Biden to close the prison without further delay at a vigil for the closure of Guantánamo in Parliament Square, London, one of the monthly coordinated global vigils for the closure of Guantánamo that have been happening all year.
Marking 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, on December 6, 2023, Peter Gwilliam, the chair of Brighton and Hove Amnesty Group, calls on President Biden to close the prison without further delay at a vigil for the closure of Guantánamo in Parliament Square, London, one of the monthly coordinated global vigils for the closure of Guantánamo that have been happening all year.
Marking 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, on December 6, 2023, Guantánamo campaigner Shaun Brown calls on President Biden to close the prison without further delay at a vigil for the closure of Guantánamo in Parliament Square, London, one of the monthly coordinated global vigils for the closure of Guantánamo that have been happening all year.
Marking 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, on December 6, 2023, Guantánamo campaigner Paul calls on President Biden to close the prison without further delay at a vigil for the closure of Guantánamo in Parliament Square, London, one of the monthly coordinated global vigils for the closure of Guantánamo that have been happening all year.
Marking 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, on December 6, 2023, Anne Fitchett of Blackheath and Greenwich Amnesty Group calls on President Biden to close the prison without further delay.
Marking 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, on December 6, 2023, Dot Young, in London, calls on President Biden to close the prison without further delay.
Marking 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, on December 6, 2023, Tyler Worthington, in London, calls on President Biden to close the prison without further delay.
Marking 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, on December 6, 2023, Richard Clare, guitarist with The Four Fathers, whose lead singer is Close Guantánamo co-founder Andy Worthington, calls on President Biden to close the prison without further delay.
Marking 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, on December 6, 2023, Andrew Fifield, flautist and harmonica player with The Four Fathers, whose lead singer is Close Guantánamo co-founder Andy Worthington, calls on President Biden to close the prison without further delay.
Marking 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, on December 6, 2023, Bev Storer, in the U.K., calls on President Biden to close the prison without further delay.
Marking 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, on December 6, 2023, Charles Storer, in the U.K., calls on President Biden to close the prison without further delay.
Helen Martins in the U.K. calls on President Biden to close the prison at Guantánamo Bay on Dec. 6, 2023, marking 8,000 days of its existence, and says, "Thank you for all the work you do – 8,000 days is so unbelievable and outrageous."
Phil Steele in the U.K. calls on President Biden to close the prison at Guantánamo Bay on Dec. 6, 2023, marking 8,000 days of its existence.
Campaigner Luk Vervaet calls for the closure of Guantánamo at an evening vigil in Brussels marking 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay. The photos below are also from this vigil.
On December 6, 2023, marking 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, Dawn Kwan in Taiwan sent this photo with a hand-written message, and said, "It's so sad that it's been 8000 days, and I appreciate all that you've been doing to keep the pressure on to close the most meaningless prison."
On December 6, 2023, marking 8,000 days of the existence of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, Felton Davis, c/o Catholic Worker in New York City, sent this image.
This photo, and the 14 below, were taken by Felton Davis outside Maryhouse, the Catholic Worker house in New York City, of members of the community and passers-by.
