On Tuesday, Guardian reporter Spencer Ackerman published a piece in which he exposed “an off-the-books interrogation compound.”
Saturday: Shut Down #HomanSquare — Chicago Police Black Site! https://t.co/7GMkXlqMl2 | 3PM, 3379 W Fillmore pic.twitter.com/UUJ3jy7N3h
— ChiActivistCalendar (@ChicagoActivism) February 26, 2015
Lawyers have called it the “domestic equivalent of a CIA black site” where Americans are effectively taken out of communication with the outside world while they are interrogated. The more official name is Homan Square.
#Gitmo2Chicago pic.twitter.com/y97tqy4ETE
— Gina Gillespie (@Gina_Gillespie) February 28, 2015
According to some of the victims held, the practices resembled the CIA-led sites as described in the Senate’s review of the use of torture. Detainees were shackled for extended periods of time, beaten, and held without legal counsel for as much as 24 hours. Detainees were as young as 15 years old.
@ChicagoWCW and @CC2ShutGitmo in the house to Shut Down #HomanSquare #GItmo2Chicago — #torture has to stop now! https://t.co/W1OXqExfBW
— Jay Becker (@futureup2us) February 28, 2015
To avoid a paper trail, the detentions and their interrogations were kept of the city database.
The crowd is starting to gather at #HomanSquare #Gitmo2Chicago police 'black site' pic.twitter.com/ilT7miOUQR
— Chicago Rising (@ChicagoRising) February 28, 2015
The latest revelations came only days after Ackerman discovered that a former Chicago police officer had also worked as an interrogator at the Guantanamo Bay detention center. Richard Zuley spent thirty years on the police force and was later exposed to be a “notoriously” brutal detective, using torture and abuse on suspects to get them to confess. Zuley also planted evidence and threatened family members.
Zuley employed the same tactics in Guantanamo Bay.
#Gitmo2Chicago Breaking: Rahm Emanuel responds to comprehensive reports on Chicago black site pic.twitter.com/mt9uA2vNYS
— Jerry Boyle (@jecboyle) February 28, 2015
The continued existence of Homan Square comes at an inopportune time for Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Emanuel, once President Obama’s chief of staff, has been forced into an unprecedented runoff vote in his race for re-election. He failed to get a majority of the vote in the first round and now must face Cook County Commissioner Jesus Garcia.
What is this? RT "@vanaver8: No Gitmo in Chicago #Gitmo2Chicago pic.twitter.com/ZDXnySKR4l"
— Chicago Mayor (@RahmAntics) February 28, 2015
Chicago #Gitmo2Chicago #HomanSquare: Activistas no son terroristas. Photos via @MinkuMedia @AnarchoAnon @kinimatini pic.twitter.com/d0P6SRUCfd
— Revolución Real Ya (@RRYrevolucion) February 28, 2015
"@AnarchoAnon: #HomanSquare #Gitmo2Chicago pic.twitter.com/srQnrsai2g" RT
— Fawksee (@AnonFoxFire) February 28, 2015
Lol "@MinkuMedia: Lonely cop can't stop people taking the streets #ftp #acab #Gitmo2Chicago #HomanSquare pic.twitter.com/6oQPsKhrVq"
— Anonyamoose (@Anonyamoose) February 28, 2015
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