'Chasers' Drop in on Class Taught by Torture Lawyer John Yoo, Bring Childhood Joy to Dick Cheney (VIDEO)

Editor's note: introducing you to a new blog, Waging Nonviolence ...

In the video below, a satirical comedy group from Australia called the Chasers, confronts torture lawyer John Yoo during one of his recent classes at Berkeley. With a black hood over his head, the unidentified man stands on his chair, outstreches his arms and asks the professor, “How long can I be required to stand here ’til it counts as torture?”

Rather than respond, Yoo simply apologizes for having to end class. As he grabs his stuff and prepares to leave, the Chaser says, “If this is awkward for you, it’s very uncomfortable for me. I can tell you.”

The laughs that follow seem to be from a laugh track or from their TV show’s audience rather than the students in the class, but I’m not entirely sure. One student can definitely be heard asking the protester to please leave. Pretty sad.

Before Yoo – one of the authors of the Bush administration’s torture policy – makes it through the door, the Chaser gets in one last barb. “I’d love to move, but every time I do my balls get buzzed.” The students then clap, and at the last moment, Yoo is saved by a woman (probably from the administration) who comes through the door to remove the hooded man.