More than Twenty Cities Rally for Bradley Manning
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Grassroots Campaign for Accused WikiLeaks Whistleblower Activates International Support
From September 16-19, supporters of Bradley Manning held public rallies and vigils for the accused WikiLeaks whistleblower, currently imprisoned in Quantico. Events were held in twenty-one cities in the United States, Canada and Australia in response to a call for action sent by the Bradley Manning Support Network and Courage to Resist.
The Days of Action kicked off with a packed hall in Oakland, California on Thursday, September 16 with Afghanistan: Occupation, WikiLeaks, and accused Whistle-blower Army Pfc. Bradley Manning. Keynote speakers included renowned peace activists and scholars Daniel Ellsberg, Col. Ann Wright (ret.), and Ray McGovern. Over 250 supporters crammed the hall while hundreds more watched through the streaming webcast on MichaelMoore.com and Ustream.tv.
Over the weekend, supporters protested in Michigan, Massachusetts, Oregon, New Hampshire, Tennessee, California, Minnesota, Connecticut, New York, Virginia, Oklahoma, Alaska and Washington. Internationally, events were held in Toronto, Canada and Byron Bay, Australia.
“We sent out a message to supporters asking them to rally, and then groups organized locally,” said Mike Gogulski, founder of the Bradley Manning Support Network, “It was inspiring to see so many people brought together. ”
Events featured anti-war activists, veterans, labor organizers, progressives, queer rights advocates and information activists. Speakers at events denounced the practice of classifying violations of the Geneva Conventions as secret. They called on the US government to adopt transparency and free Bradley Manning.
Though events of the weekend received widespread media attention, the United States government has yet to issue a response to the outpouring of international support for the imprisoned intelligence analyst.
Manning has been held in isolation for over 100 days. He faces over 50 years in prison if convicted of the charges.
Bradley Manning Sends Gratitude for Support, Hopes for Freedom
The Bradley Manning Support Network was heartened by a message from Manning’s attorney, David Coombs:
“I spoke with PFC Bradley Manning today [Thursday, September 16] … Brad is aware of the fact that events are happening from today through the 19th. He has asked me to express how very thankful that he is for the support that he has received so far. Brad also told me that he looks forward to the day that he can express his gratitude in person to those that have rallied to his defense.”
More than Twenty Cities Rally for Bradley Manning
Grassroots Campaign for Accused WikiLeaks Whistleblower Activates International Support
From September 16-19, supporters of Bradley Manning held public rallies and vigils for the accused WikiLeaks whistleblower, currently imprisoned in Quantico. Events were held in twenty-one cities in the United States, Canada and Australia in response to a call for action sent by the Bradley Manning Support Network and Courage to Resist.
The Days of Action kicked off with a packed hall in Oakland, Thursday, September 16 with Afghanistan: Occupation, WikiLeaks, and accused Whistle-blower Army Pfc. Bradley Manning. Keynote speakers included renowned peace activists and scholars Daniel Ellsberg, Col. Ann Wright (ret.), and Ray McGovern. Over 250 supporters crammed into the hall while hundreds more watched through the streaming webcast on Michaelmoore.com and Ustream.
Over the weekend, supporters protested in Michigan, Massachusetts, Oregon, New Hampshire, Tennessee, California, Minnesota, Connecticut, New York, Virginia, Oklahoma, Alaska and Washington. Internationally, events were held in Toronto, Ontario and Byron Bay, New South Wales.
“We sent out a message to supporters asking them to rally, and then organizations organized locally,” said Mike Gogulski, founder of the Bradley Manning Support Network, “It was humbling to see so many people brought together. ”
Events features anti-war activists, veterans, labor organizers, progressives, queer rights advocates and information activists. Speakers at events denounced the practice of classifying violations of the Geneva Conventions as secret. They called on the US government to adopt transparency and free Bradley Manning.
Though events of the weekend received widespread media attention, the United States government has yet to issue a response to the outpouring of international support for the imprisoned intelligence analyst.
Manning has been held in isolation for over 100 days. He faces over 50 years in prison if convicted of the charges.
Bradley Manning Sends Gratitude for Support, Hopes for Freedom
The Bradley Manning Support Network was heartened by a message from Manning’s attorney:
“I spoke with PFC Bradley Manning today…. Brad is aware of the fact that events are happening from today through the 19th. He has asked me to express how very thankful that he is for the support that he has received so far. Brad also told me that he looks forward to the day that he can express his gratitude in person to those that have rallied to his defense.” – Pfc. Manning’s attorney David Coombs.
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Rainey Reitman
Help change the world – support Bradley Manning
bradleymanning.org
God save us! I was stationed at Orgun-E Afgh., and agree that if war crimes can be proved then, punishment should fallow to the top of the order given. I fear this is the beginning of the end of many things, and that the people who should serve time or give life will only continue to give the blood of our children’s bodies. Good luck to Brad and all the supporters. Were going to need it.
Bradley deserves a medal! A few of them.
How refreshing, in this day and age, to find someone with enough guts and morality to stand up and say, ‘this isn’t right’! and then to tell the whole world what he’s witnessed. What a man! He’s a hero in my book. A true hero.
Of course he has to prove himself innocent. How can he do that? He’s locked up.
It’s high time the shills in Government were locked up. Not good people like Bradley.
Anyone can view dozens of Apache helicopter attacks shown on youtube, all apparently OK by the US military because they look like ‘correct’ actions.
I guarantee that we never would have seen the one allegedly released by Bradley Manning without someone having the courage to release it. He is facing severe punishment for his ‘crime’.
So a young courageous man is facing prosecution by a military that is too COWARDLY to admit their mistakes.
Unsurprisingly, the US government is much more interested in locking up the whistleblower than going after the culprits of crimes.
In a reasonable country, it should be a crime not to denounce a crime.
Furthermore, the US government is culpable of not prosecuting, but hiding, illegal actions that they knew about – which is equal to being involved in the crimes.
The embarrassing thing for both the army and the government is, that they have been caught with their pants down.
Show some respect and free Bradley Manning now.
Muita força para vocês!! Que a liberdade de expressão e os direitos humanos prevaleçam sobre a brutalidade e a insanidade do ser humano. Que dissolva o mercado bélico existente nos países, e que só alimenta a tristeza e a injustiça no mundo…
Escrevo do Brasil e aqui, estamos admirados com a coragem do Bradley Manning e acreditando e sua liberdade…
FREE Bradley Manning
Um abraço a todos
Tais
Bradley Manning: hero.
WHICH 21 cities? Not listed in the article. Only states/countries.
Are they secret?
There is another big fundraiser happening in the South and center of the nation. Rebel With A Cause starts March 21 in Natchez, MS the day after the protest at Quantico, and goes up the Natchez Trace to focus on Bradley Manning Days, April 8,9,10 in Nashville, TN. Bradley Manning was living up to his oath to protect the Constitution by uncovering war crimes. Bradley Manning Days is being organized by Nashville Peace Coalition, CodePinkTN, PeaceRoots Alliance, Tennessee Veterans For Peace, Nashville Peace & Justice Center; Students For Peace; Nashville Greenlands; and more. We are determined to have freedom and justice for Bradley Manning and all brave whistleblowers. http://www.operationawareness.org/rebelwithacause.htm