Many prisoners in Guantanamo are on hunger strike for 100 days. That is more than 3 months. They are force-fed for some time now which is a painful process. This is where force-feeding takes place, a picture by Jason Leopold, an investigative journalist who has access to the premises of Guantanamo.
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| via pic.twitter.com/T5z3rmIp6W |
The hacktivist group Anonymous launched a new Op (eration) to mark the 100 days on hunger strike: #OpGTMO17 or #GTMO17 which stands for Operation Guantanamo 17th of May (2013). The plan was to create a twitter storm in order to raise awareness. It is a well-organised operation with an independent twitter handle @OpGTMO (Operation Guantanamo) and an Information Centre providing guidelines on the twitterstorm package (worldwide countdown, hashtags, things to tweet). Same thing happened for the 18th & 19th of May. The twitterstorm did happen since the hashtag trended No 1 in the US and at least No 3 worldwide which is good work. I suppose Eurovision had its fair piece of the cake too.
What is all the more interesting however is the silence: not the RTs but the absence of RT's; not only who used the hashtag but those who did not; not those who talked about the twitterstorm but those who failed to report on this event.
The only large news agency on twitter that mentioned #GTMO17 is the @AJStream (AlJazeera Stream):
Day 100 of #Guantanamo hunger strike marked by online twitterstorm #OpGTMO #GTMO17 aje.me/17GyFrVinstagram.com/p/Za9E9LjBp-/
— The Stream (@AJStream) May 17, 2013
@AJEnglish merely retweeted @AJStream:
Day 100 of #Guantanamo hunger strike marked by online twitterstorm #OpGTMO #GTMO17 aje.me/17GyFrV via @ajstream
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) May 17, 2013
Two differences between @AJEnglish and @AJStream. @AJEnglish has a bit more than 1,5 mil followers whereas @AJStream has almost 90,000 followers. Both are part of AlJazeera, but let's say that @AJEnglish reflects the official policy of the network whereas @AJStream is a 'web community and daily Television show powered by social media and citizen journalism'.
CNN had nothing to say on twitter. Although they had a very instructive reportage on their website on the harsh conditions the GUARDS at Guantanamo Bay deal with everyday. God bless America. If you are up for it, here is the link.
Now turning to BBC. @BBCBreaking reported in detail:
$1m (£650,000) worth of jewels due to be loaned to #Cannes film festival stars reportedly stolen from hotel room safe bbc.in/17Edbff
— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) May 17, 2013
Of course, after 5 years in England I am in position to appreciate the priorities:
How to make the perfect mint tea gu.com/p/3fqth/tw via @guardianfood
— The Guardian (@guardian) May 18, 2013
But what about @mediaguardian? Nope, nothing there either which makes you question what the Guardian means by media in the first place.
Another interesting note is that Amnesty International was inclined towards using the hashtags #Guantanamo and #CloseGitmo. Very reluctant towards using #GTMO17, although it did use the said hashtag once.
Amnesty member, who lost sister during Sept 11, talks about justice and the need to #closegitmo owl.li/l9fQ8 #GTMO17
— AmnestyInternational (@amnesty) May 17, 2013
@ICRC, the International Committee of the Red Cross, which does give its battles for closing down Guantanamo, did not think that it is important to tweet on the twitterstorm or take part in the digital protest.
You draw your own conclusions.
Jason Leopold REPORTS:
:D MT @jasonleopold Just arriving in Fla from week at # GITMO. No wifi. Base commander ordered it shut down until Mon due to #OPGtmo threat.
— Operation Guantanamo (@OpGTMO) May 18, 2013
