Amnesty International New Zealand marked International Day in Support of Victims of Torture on June 26 by seeking signatures on orange jump-suited petitioners in central Auckland today. The walking petition started at noon from the corner of Karangahape Road and Queen Street and continued down Queen St and throughout the CBD until 2pm.

The orange jumpsuit has become synonymous with Guantnamo Bay and the torture inflicted upon detainees there. This is why Amnesty International was urging Aucklanders to sign the jumpsuits in support of closing Guantanamo, and for a fair trial, or release of Canadian detainee Omar Khadr.“Orange has also become the colour of outrage and these signed jumpsuits will provide visually striking evidence of Kiwis’ outrage at the injustice of Guantanamo Bay when received by US and Canadian leaders George W Bush and Stephen Harper,” says Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand spokesperson Margaret Taylor.

“Torture and other ill-treatment takes place under conditions of secrecy, hidden away from the outside world. This action shines a spotlight on torture and on one individual who has been tortured, and calls on the world to eradicate this barbaric practice,” says Taylor.

For more photos of this and other actions to mark International Day of Victims of torture, visit our Spotlight on torture group on Flickr