Students and academics to lead day-long orange jumpsuit protest

Cambridge University Amnesty International has persuaded hundreds of students and academics to don orange jumpsuits today to call for the closure of the notorious US military run detention centre in Cuba, Guantanamo Bay.

Having inmates wear orange jumpsuits is one of the ways the US military dehumanises those in detention.

Each of the students and academics taking part in the demonstration will wear the orange jumpsuit for the entire day and is calling for the closure of Guantanamo Bay and other illegal detention centres across the world.

The protest will culminate in a big gathering on King’s College Lawn at 2pm for an aerial photograph of the volunteers in jumpsuits making the sign of the Amnesty candle.

Mischa Foxell, the chair of Cambridge University Amnesty International, said:

“While most people in Cambridge support an end to human rights abuses in illegal detention centres, there is still an awful lot of ignorance about the issues.

“Hopefully everyone who sees someone in an orange jumpsuit today will go away knowing and caring more about the horrific abuses which take place every day in illegal detention centres across the world.”

Professor Mary Beard, the Classics Editor of the Times Literary supplement, who is also taking part in the day, added:

“I’m participating to draw attention to the whole issue of illegal detention – and because I feel embarrassed by the British government’s passivity. I just hope the one-size jumpsuits will be big enough to fit me.”

• find out more about our campaign to close Guantanamo Bay