For 16  years straight Amnesty International members and supporters have been spending a Friday in April in New York City calling for an end to human rights abuses around the world.  

What do we want?  HUMAN RIGHTS!  When do we want them? NOW!

The day started really early for some of us, getting on buses from as far as Maine, before the sun rose.  We all gathered at the Cooper Union for a phenomenal speaker's panel, with speakers on all of the issues we protested throughout the day.

Tenzin Dolkar, Students for a Free Tibet US Grassoots Campaign Coordinator, below, gives an impassioned speech about why everyone should keep their energy up for the last protest of the day, at the Chinese consulate, calling for Dhondup Wangchen's release from prison. (Video by Nick Gulotta)

We also heard from Aquene Freechild, organizer of last year's action on Bhopal, with an update on Bhopal and why we should continue to take action even though there wasn't a protest planned this year. (Video by Nick Gulotta).

Above: a talk on the Jasmine Revolution by Joshua Rubenstein, Director of AI's Northeast Regional Office.  Video by Nick Gulotta.

The first protest of the day was at the Chad Mission to the UN, calling for the protection of Darfuri refugees and an end to the recruitment of child soldiers.  We hope the Armenian consulate next door didn't think we were protesting them!  

At 2:30 pm, AIUSA Chad country specialist Sarah Milburn and Eric Aronson and Sheena Townsend of Group 133's Refugee Action Team met with Chad's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ahmad Allam-mi. The Chad mission's press attache and finance minister were also present. We expressed Amnesty's concerns about refugees, underage combatants and impunity (see Actions and Issues). We also presented hundreds of letters from GOTB participants, addressed to Chad's president and ambassador to the United States. The UN ambassador listened to our concerns and agreed to convey them, along with the letters, to President Déby and Ambassador Bechir. He also gave us a written statement from the government. We agreed to follow up after GOTB.

We then marched, shouting the whole way, to the Sri Lankan Mission to the UN.  Here we called for an independent international investigation into war crimes.  A group of students from Auburn High School went into the meet with the mission and we will also post their reportback soon.   We will also post a video soon.

The next protest of the day was at the United Nations, calling for the release of Indonesian independence activist, Filep Karma.  We had company there--there was a group protesting for democracy in Yemen and another calling for the end of violence in Darfur.  We were glad to have the chance to educate a lot of people about Filep Karma as well as learn more about our Yemen and Sudan.

Check out these awesome photos of the Indonesia protest by Shameel Arafin.  

We ended the day with a protest at the Chinese consulate.  We go to the Chinese consulate every year and this year was no different.  Despite the drizzle, we raised our voices loud and clear for the release of Tibetan filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen.  

It is our hope that we don't have to go back next year---but if we have to, we will be back with more people and louder than ever!

Photo Galleries & Videos

Scott Langley's photos
Kelly Turley's photos
TRCC Amnesty International Club's photos
Video of Jim McDonald, Sri Lankan Country Specialist's talk (by Nick Gulotta)