Group Launches Virtual Campaign Space on Sixth Anniversary of Illegal Detentions at Guantánamo

CONTACT: media@aclu.org; (212) 549-2666

NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union today announced a new site in Second Life (SL) as part of its Close Guantánamo campaign. January 11, 2008 marks the six-year anniversary of the arrival of prisoners at Guantánamo Bay. The new virtual space includes "Gone GITMO," a program produced by Nonny de la Peña and Peggy Weil and built by SL architect Buhbuhcuh Fairchild. The program gives Second Life residents a glimpse into the inhumane conditions of indefinite detention at Camp X-Ray. While visiting the space, residents can also sign a petition and wear virtual orange clothing as a way to express opposition to torture and indefinite detention at the U.S.-run prison.

second lifeFor the past three weeks, this thing called Second Life has consumed my time, my wallet, and my mindspace. The question is: why? Is it because there is a tremendous amount of speculative activity on the SL Grid regarding the potential of money to be made in selling aether> Is it the potential of having unrelenting avatar sex with humans, furries, centaurs, elves, or mecha? Is it the fact that within three months, I have met the strangest asemblage of people, been in bizarre and compromising stiuations, slammed a cycle with a girl on back into the side of a mountain at 180 KPH, or blew off a nuke that crashed my grid?