Protesters Demand Closure of Gitmo Base

Members of human rights group Amnesty International wearing Guantanamo-style orange inmate outfits stage a protest in Budapest, Hungary, on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2007, on the fifth anniversary of the opening of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba. Amnesty International organized demonstrations in various cities around the world as part of the International Day calling for the closure of the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay where nearly 400 prisoners are being held. (AP Photo/MTI, Tamas Kovacs) (Tamas Kovacs - AP)

Critics say the camp, where most of the prisoners face indefinite incarceration, is an affront to democratic values. Allegations of abuse have fueled worldwide outrage.

The military says the detention center is vital to the fight against terrorism and that instances of abuse have been investigated and the perpetrators disciplined. The detention camp commander, Adm. Harry B. Harris, says aggressive interrogation tactics are no longer used.

Army Col. Lora Tucker, a spokeswoman for the detention center, said the military had no plans to acknowledge the protest Thursday or increase security at the outside gates.

"Nothing changes for us based on a demonstration being held somewhere in Cuba," she said, adding that Thursday was "a normal work day" at the base.

At the United Nations, the new secretary-general echoed an appeal by his predecessor, Kofi Annan, who urged the Bush administration to shut down the prison.

"Like my predecessor, I believe that prison at Guantanamo should be closed," Ban told his first news conference since taking the reins of the U.N. on Jan. 1.

In Washington, about 100 protesters were arrested inside a federal courthouse after a brief demonstration demanding the prison's shutdown. Earlier, outside the Supreme Court building, several hundred demonstrators and dozens of rights activists wearing orange prison jump suits and black hoods also called for the closure of Guantanamo.

Michael Ratner, president of the Center for Constitutional Rights, told the crowd the Bush administration has engaged in an "unprecedented overreaching of executive authority."

About 100 people protested outside the U.S. Embassy in London, wearing orange inmate outfits. Three "guards" wearing green camouflage shouted orders for them to stand up or kneel down. Similar demonstrations took place in Greece, Hungary and Italy.

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Associated Press writers Michael Melia in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Thomas Wagner in London and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.