From The Boston Bradley Manning Support Committee Archives (April 2012)

Standing In Solidarity With Private Bradley Manning In The Boston Area On Friday April 27th In Davis Square, Somerville And Saturday April 28th At Park Street Station In Boston

http://www.bradleymanning.org/

We of the anti-war movement were not able to do much to affect the Bush- Obama Iraq War timetable but we can do much to save the one hero of that war, Bradley Manning.

According to the Private Bradley Manning Support Network (see link above) there are a series of actions planned next week in Washington, D.C at the Justice Department on April 24th and at Fort Meade, Maryland on April 25th and 26th in connection with the next round of legal proceedings in his case. I had originally intended to travel down from Boston to take part in those events that week but some other obligations now prevent me from doing so. Nevertheless there are two on-going activities in the Boston area where those of us who support freedom for Bradley Manning can show our solidarity during this week.

Every Friday from 1:00 -2:00 PM there is an on-going solidarity vigil for Brother Manning at the Davis Square Redline MBTA stop in Davis Square, Somerville.

Every Saturday from 1:00-2:00 PM there is an on-going peace vigil/speak-out in our struggle against the war (or wars) of the moment being orchestrated by the American government and its allies at the Redline MBTA Park Street Station in Boston (Boston Common). Bradley Manning’s case is a natural extension of those struggles.

Here is a little comment that I have made previously whenever the call to defend Private Manning in the streets has been issued as motivation for standing in solidarity with him in his time of need:

Of course I will be standing in solidarity with Private Bradley Manning in Davis Square and at Park Street Station on April 27^thand 28^th respectively because I stand in solidarity with the alleged actions of Private Bradley Manning in bringing to light, just a little light, some of the nefarious war-like doings of this government, Bush-like or Obamian. If he did such acts they are no crime. No crime at all in my eyes or in the eyes of the vast majority of people who know of the case and of its importance as an individual act of resistance to the unjust and barbaric American-led war in Iraq. I sleep just a shade bit easier these days knowing that Private Manning may have exposed what we all knew, or should have known- the Iraq war and the Afghan war justifications rested on a house of cards. American imperialism’s gun-toting house of cards, but cards nevertheless.

I will also be standing in solidarity with Private Bradley Manning because I am outraged by the treatment meted out to Private Manning, presumably an innocent man, by a government who alleges itself to be some“beacon” of the civilized world. Bradley Manning had been held in solidarity at Quantico and other locales for over 500 days, and has been held without trial for much longer, as the government and its military try to glue a case together. The military, and its henchmen in the Justice Department, have gotten more devious although not smarter since I was a soldier in their crosshairs over forty years ago.

These are sufficient reasons to stand in solidarity with Private Manning and will be until the day he is freed by his jailers. And I will continue to stand in proud solidarity with Brother Manning until that great day. Please plan to attend either or both of these events on Friday April 28th (Davis Square) and/or Saturday April 29th (Park Street) to stand in solidarity with Bradley Manning.