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July 28, 2004
St. Louis
We interviewed people at the Gateway Arch and on the Loop in St. Louis yesterday. See photos of our screening on the Loop below.
July 26, 2004
In Iowa City
The Guantanamobile Project interviewed residents of Iowa City yesterday and screened its documentary. See The Daily Iowan article about us in today's issue.
Here is our documentary playing on the downtown pedestrian mall from the back of our Guantanamobile (photo by Laura Schmitt of The Daily Iowan):
July 25, 2004
Iowa City and Chicago
Today we head out to St. Louis, after conducting interviews in Iowa City and Chicago and screening the film in the evenings. In Chicago, we screened part of the film for students from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern, and interviewed in the Grant Park area of downtown and in Wicker Park in the early evening. In Iowa City, several of our interview subjects had heard our NPR radio appearance on "Talk of Iowa" Thursday, July 22nd. In general, the Iowans we spoke with seemed to follow the Guantanamo story less than residents of other cities on our tour (or perhaps they were more honest about admitting this). They were preoccupied with the eventual outcome of the Iraq conflict, but seemed less personally concerned with the effect that the "war on terror" might have on their lives.
July 21, 2004
Cleveland and Detroit
Projection a wall near University Circle, Cleveland Ohio. In Cleveland, we interviewed people in two different locations: we spoke with a group of telephone workers downtown in the area of Public Square, and with some law students and other passers-by in the Little Italy neighborhood near University Circle.
In Detroit, we made one stop in the vicinity of Waye State University, screening the film and interviewing passers-by and shop owners on the 400 block of Willis Street.
What have we found thus far? Perhaps the most interesting thread that's emerged so far, in my opinion, is that people who support the administration's original position on Guantanamo — even after of the Supreme Court decision — often seem to feel that the interrogation process at Guantanamo was the equivalent of an adjudication process. In other words, conclusions about the guilt or innocence of detainees was thought to emerge naturally from the information-gathering at Guantanamo, eliminating the need for a more formal trial or screening of detainees.
On the other hand, interview subjects who have been troubled by events at Guantanamo have clearly and consistently seen what has happened on the base as a potential civil liberties issue, a potential model of indefinite detention that could be practiced elsewhere, even in the U.S.
July 19, 2004
Van Locations and Times
From July 19 to August 2nd, we will be traveling to these cities and screening the just-completed first draft of our film about Guantanamo: we will also be interviewing people in each of the cities that we visit for the second draft of the film. Please come out and meet us! All locations are approximate: please check the site as the date approaches for updates, or call 347-564-3096 on the day of the venue for more exact information.
1.) Monday, July 19: We leave NY for Cleveland
2.) Tuesday, July 20: Cleveland events, day/evening
We will be in the Public Square area from 11-3, and in the University Circle area on Euclid Avenue -- from 5-8
3.) Wed, July 21: To Detroit; afternoon in Detroit.
We will be located on the 400 block of Willis Street, near Wayne State University and the Avalon Bakery, from 2-5 p.m.
We MAY be located near the corner of State Street and South University in Ann Arbor from 6-8 p.m. Please call to confirm.
4.) Thursday, July 22: Detroit to Chicago
5.) Friday, July 23: Day/evening events in Chicago
We will be downtown on the 200 block of South Adams Street from 10-1, and in Wicker Park, around the 1500 block of Milwaulkee Ave. from 4-7
6.) Saturday, July 24: Chicago to Iowa City
7.) Sunday, July 25: Day/evening events, Iowa City
We will be in the downtown pedestrian mall, by the corner of Washington and Dubuque, from 12-3 and 5-7
8.) Monday, July 26: Iowa City to St. Louis
9.) Tuesday, July 27: Day/evening events, St. Louis
We will be in the Arch area (First street) from 1-3 and in the University Circle Area, (Delmar between Kingsland and Leland) from 5-8
10.) Wednesday, July 28: St. Louis to Nashville
11.) Thursday, July 29: Day/evening events, Nashville
We will be in the Bicentennial Mall Parking area from 11-3, and in the Centennial Park Area from 5-7
12.) Friday, July 30: Nashville to Asheville
13.) Saturday, July 31: Asheville stop (downtown); Asheville to Richmond
14.) Sunday, August 1: Richmond to Washington
Guantanamobile Project Goes On The Road
We're off! Any questions about locations, please call 347-564-3096. We'll be posting trip updates to this blog as often as possible.
July 10, 2004
Jamie Fellner, Eugene Fidell, and Robert Levy Interviewed
Last week, Project members interviewed Jamie Fellner, director of the US Program of Human Rights Watch, in her Manhattan office. In Washington DC, the Project spoke with constitutional lawyer Robert Levy (of the Cato Institute) and Eugene Fidell, the defense lawyer for now-exonerated Army chaplain James Yee. These are the final interviews we will conduct before heading out in on the road on July 19 with the rough-cut of our film.
In other news, Tonianne DeMaria Barry has taken over the news blog, replacing Lisa Lynch. We are excited to have Tonianne writing longer, more detailed blog entries at a moment when so many important stories are breaking about Guantanamo. Please take a look!
July 02, 2004
Sadiq Reza and David Rose Interviewed
Project members interviewed Muslim legal scholar Sadiq Reza and Guardian/Vanity Fair journalist David Rose over the past week. Streaming media clips will be available for earlier interviews over the course of the next week, along with biographies of all interview subjects.