9.16.2010

days of action to support bradley manning begin today

Today, September 16, kicks off the International Days of Action in support of Bradley Manning, the courageous soldier who is accused of leaking the infamous Collateral Murder video to WikiLeaks. This video, which showed the US military murdering civilians, offered hard evidence of what war resisters have been saying for so long. Manning has now spent 82 days in prison (and counting) and faces a long, grueling ordeal ahead. Our message: exposing war crimes is not a crime!

The Bradley Manning Support Network has grown into an international movement. Noam Chomsky, Daniel Ellsberg, Michael Moore and Colonel Ann Wright are among Manning's public supporters, with peace and justice groups all over the world working to build support.

On this Days of Action page, you can find an event in your area, or you can create your own. Get some materials, call two friends, and stand on a street corner, raising awareness. It's worth it. Here are some pointers to get you started.

In Toronto, meet at the US Consulate on Sunday, September 19, at noon. I'll post more information as I have it.

The symbol that is really picking up steam is the whistle. Whistleblowers are amazingly brave people. They speak truth in the face of overwhelming power. They need our support, and we, in turn, can gain courage and strength from their example.

Here's Gerry Condon of Veterans For Peace, blowing the whistle on war crimes and standing up for all war resisters at the VFP convention.

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