Our march against Trump to say: no to torture

It’s not often that Freedom from Torture takes to the streets to get its views across. But there are some issues that go beyond political ideology, beyond left and right. One of those issues is torture. That’s why Freedom from Torture took part in protest marches against the pro-torture beliefs of President Donald Trump when he visited the UK last week.

Torture is wrong under any circumstances. It is banned in international law and enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN Convention Against Torture.

President Donald Trump thinks that torture “absolutely works”. He said: “I would bring back waterboarding, and I’d bring back a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding.” In April he appointed Gina Haspel as CIA Director - a women who has been actively involved in overseeing torture of detainees at a “black site” in Thailand and then destroying the records of that torture.

President Donald Trump thinks that torture “absolutely works”. He said: “I would bring back waterboarding, and I’d bring back a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding.”

So when the UK government invited President Trump on an official visit, Freedom from Torture wanted to go beyond carefully crafted words of condemnation. We decided to join the many other individuals and organisations who were protesting against the often devastating effects of President Trump’s words and policies at home and abroad.

For Freedom from Torture this was an unusual step. As Chief Executive Sonya Sceats explained in a BBC interview:

"We have seen the president of the United States advocate torture. We are a well-established national charity, and as a group we don't often hit the streets, but we wanted to stand with survivors living in this country and around the world against torture."

We decided to join the many other individuals and organisations who were protesting against the often devastating effects of President Trump’s words and policies at home and abroad. For Freedom from Torture this was an unusual step.

On Friday, 13 July, staff, supporters and survivors of torture joined thousands of people from all walks of life at protests across the UK. Our offices in Glasgow, London, Manchester, Newcastle, and supporters in Edinburgh and Bristol, turned out for protest marches and meetings in their cities. Over 6,000 people pledged their support online – indeed they were marching with us in spirit.

In London, an estimated 100,000 joined the march – one of the largest for many years. It was a noisy and colourful crowd, with placards and espousing many causes but with one overriding message “Donald Trump is not welcome here”.

Our banners and placards reading “No to Torture, No to Trump” in bold yellow and purple stood out in the crowd. We gave away hundreds of placards and stickers to marchers and could have given away many more such was the demand.

As with all large demonstrations, there was a lot of waiting around but this did not dim our enthusiasm. It gave us a valuable opportunity to spread our message to others, to make new friends and talk with the media.

Our banners and placards reading “No to Torture, No to Trump” in bold yellow and purple stood out in the crowd. We gave away hundreds of placards and stickers to marchers and could have given away many more such was the demand.

And once we started to move, the high spirits, buoyed by the music, chants and general bonhomie, kept us in cheerful mood all the way to Trafalgar Square.

Torture survivors added their voices to the protest. Kolbassia Haoussou, Co-ordinator of Survivors Speak OUT, an activist network of former clients of Freedom from Torture who advocate and educate against torture, said:

"Donald Trump is president of one of the most powerful countries in the world and the message he is sending is that torture is OK. Our message is that torture is wrong and it doesn't work. It breaks people and forces them to flee their own country in search of safety. It ruins lives and leaves them and their families damaged."

Freedom from Torture patron John McCarthy joined the march in London. He said:

"Donald Trump has achieved the difficult feat of uniting so many people against him. However, I am especially pleased to be marching with Freedom from Torture. The right to live free from torture and abuse is such a basic human right that everyone must understand it.

“And it’s not just about Donald Trump. When the US President thinks that torture is acceptable, it send a signal to dictators and strongmen worldwide that they can commit torture with impunity, that human rights and international law count for nothing."

Heartfelt thanks to everyone who marched, literally and figuratively, in London and other cities. Don’t stop now. Keep spreading the message that torture is never right or acceptable.