Individuals and activists will take to the streets to show support for accused WikiLeaks whistleblower on September 16-19.

On September 16-19, groups and individuals will call on the United States government to drop the charges against Army Private First Class Bradley Manning. Twenty-two year old Manning, held in solitary confinement since May, has been charged with releasing classified documents including a video that shows American troops shooting and killing Reuters journalists in 2007. (Watch the video at www.collateralmurder.com) Manning’s imprisonment has resulted in an international outcry, with groups and activists throughout the US and abroad demanding his release and calling for transparency in America’s war policies. Famed Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg has called Mr. Manning, “A new hero of mine.”

Act Locally!

Activists should work within their communities to organize events locally during the International Days of Action. If you aren’t involved with a local group, contact your local affiliate of Veterans for Peace, Iraq Veterans Against the War or Code Pink, or look for activist groups in your area.

Be Creative

Many activist groups are planning vigils, marches and rallies in support of Bradley Manning – but there are other ways to get involved. Some ideas:

• Consider throwing a Whistleblower Party – with whistles as party favors and a donation bucket for Bradley Manning’s defense fund
• Work with a restaurant or club in your area to organize a fundraising event
• Host a lecture with a local college and sympathetic professors or anti-war activists to talk about the importance of transparency in government
• Organize a public screening of Collateral Murder

Anything that spreads the word about Bradley Manning’s wrongful imprisonment will help. If you act during the International Days of Action, your actions will be part of a global support effort.

Coordinate Your Event with the Bradley Manning Support Network!

If you are organizing an event locally, please email Support [at] bradleymanning [dot] org– we can help!

• Tell us the date, time and location of your event and we’ll help promote it via website, social networks and affiliates
• We’ll send you Bradley buttons! If we have them available, we’ll do our best to send you some promotional materials. http://www.couragetoresist.org/x/content/view/851/
• We’ll post pictures of your event on our website – so remember to take photos and send them to Support [at] bradleymanning [dot] org

Promote Your Event!

If you’re organizing an event, let people know. Many groups have shown support for Bradley Manning – you just have to get the word out!

• Print up flyers and leave them in local coffee shops (some materials can be found on the bradleymanning.org wiki)
• Ask local activist groups to put your event on their calendars
• Contact peace organizations in your area and ask them to notify their mailing lists about the event
• Search Meetup.com for groups locally that might be interested in your event and ask them to add your event to their calendars
• Put up posters at local colleges and libraries
• Add it to community calendars in local newspapers
• Post it on Craigslist.org under the Community tab. Cross list it under Politics, Events, Activities and General
• Email the event details to Support [at] bradleymanning [dot] org and we’ll get the word out, too!

Follow the Law

If you are hosting an event in a public space, be sure that you do not block traffic or prevent people from using the sidewalk. If you are having a large event, examine whether you need to get permits.

The National Lawyers Guild can offer legal observers for events. Contact your local or regional National Lawyers Guild chapter or email Support [at] bradleymanning [dot] org if you are unable to reach a nearby chapter.

Featured Events

• Oakland, California

o        AFGHANISTAN: OCCUPATION, WIKILEAKS, AND ACCUSED WHISTLE-BLOWER ARMY PFC BRADLEY MANNING

DANIEL ELLSBERG, Pentagon Papers whistle-blower
TOM HAYDEN, author and activist
CARL DAVISON, US Marine/Army vet of Guantanamo Bay, Africa, and Asia
AIMEE ALLISON, author and KPFA Morning Show Host
Wikileaks “Collateral Murder” video screening

Thursday, September 16, 7pm – 9pm

Humanist Hall, 390 27th Street, Oakland CA (Between Telegraph and Broadway) (map)

Presented by Courage to Resist, with the help of National Lawyers Guild Bay Area Military Law Panel, Veterans for Peace-Bay Area Chapter, CodePink, War Resisters League-West, Iraq Veterans Against the War-Bay Area, and BAY-Peace.

The Bradley Manning defense fund is hosted by Courage to Resist in collaboration with the Bradley Manning Support Network. $5 requested donation at the door for event expenses, with a pitch during the event for the Bradley Manning defense effort.

Wheelchair accessible via the 411 28th Street entrance. For more info, or to make a tax-deductible donation, please contact Courage to Resist at +1 510-488-3559 or courage(at)riseup.net

Other events

• Minneapolis (Contact: Melissa H.)

Global Days of Action in Support of Bradley Manning
Twin Cities Rally & Public Screening of Collateral Murder

Friday, September 17th
Rally: 4:30 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Collateral Murder Video Screening: 5-6 p.m. (Indoors)
Location: Mayday Bookstore – 301 Cedar Avenue – Minneapolis

Join us on Friday, September 17th for a rally to urge the United States government to drop the charges against Bradley Manning. Along with the rally, we will also be hosting a public showing of the Wikileak’s classic, Collateral Murder. We have reserved the bookstore from 5-6 p.m. for indoor viewings of Collateral Murder and short statements from local anti-war activists and groups. For those who prefer to stay outside the entire time, we will have signs, petitions to sign, and literature to pass out from 4:30 onwards at the nearby plaza.

Are you a local peace activist or organization? If you would like to sign on or issue your own statement in support of Bradley Manning, let us know.

• Quantico,
  19 September, 2010
  IVAW, Nonviolent Peaceforce, flyering and dialogue with residents to inform and discuss Bradley Manning, possible procession (Contact: Pete P., Matt S.)

Details: There will be a training Sept. 16th, 6 p.m., at the Mott House located at Maryland Avenue and First Street NE for those wishing to engage in the door-to-door peace mission. Carpooling will be organized, and the Amtrak also goes to Quantico. To sign up for training and/or carpooling, contact Pete Perry, pete4peace (at) gmail  (dot) com

• San Diego Date: 19 September, 2010 Location: Horton Plaza See: http://westfield.com/hortonplaza/ Rally: 12 PM-2PM Will include a screening of Collateral Murder Sponsored by: Activist San Diego, San Diego Peace and Justice Coalition, (Contact: Gabe C.)

• Seattle, Fort Lewis (Contact: Gerry C.)
  Date: 18 September, 2010
  2-4 pm
  “Freedom Bridge” and gate area at I-5 exit 122 (Madigan Hospital exit).
  Details: Greater Seattle Veterans For Peace (VFP 92) is organizing a Bradley Manning support rally at Fort Lewis, Washington for Saturday, September 18. VFP members and friends from around the region will show up blowing whistles and carrying signs that say “Blow the Whistle on War Crimes.” We will be reaching out to the GI’s, giving them “goody bags” with cookies, copies of Sir, No Sir!, and stickers that say “Whistle While You Work,” and give links to VFP and IVAW websites. We want the GI’s to know it is their duty to expose war crimes, and that we will back them up when they do.

• Toronto, (Contact: Charlotte S.)

• San Francisco
  Date: Saturday, September 18, 2pm
  Details: March and rally: Free Bradley Manning
  Blowing the whistle on war crimes is not a crime!
  Time: 2pm rally, 3pm march. 4pm end at Union Square.
  Location: in front of the SF War Memorial Building, 401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, California.
  Organized by Courage to Resist, Veterans for Peace-SF Bay Area, ANSWER Coalition, Bay Area United for Peace and Justice, and CodePink.
  More info: 510-488-3559,  couragetoresist.org

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