Call and protest! Uphold your promise Obama!
Last week almost a dozen supporters were arrested after peacefully demanding Obama stand up for Bradley Manning. Let’s show them our support. 1) Call the national Obama campaign office at 312-698-3670. Demand the president uphold his promise to protect whistle-blowers and demand that he bring an end to the government’s persecution of Bradley Manning. 2) Take action September 6th at your local Obama campaign office. Blowing the whistle on war crimes is not a crime! (International supporters are welcome to contact and organize around their U.S. embassy)
By the Bradley Manning Support Network. August 23, 2012.
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Obama campaigned on a promise to protect those who expose fraud and abuse. After praising whistle-blowers as vital to American democracy, he promised that he would strengthen whistle-blower protections, that federal agencies would expedite the process for reviewing whistle-blower claims, and that those who uncover abuses would have full access to courts and due process. But after two years without court martial, nearly a year of which was spent in abusive and punitive solitary confinement that the UN has called “cruel, inhuman, and degrading,” Bradley Manning has not received due process. Instead, Bradley’s lawyer David Coombs argues that the government and military have unlawfully colluded to punish Bradley Manning before trial.
Based on this abuse, David Coombs has called on Judge Lind to drop all the charges against Bradley Manning. However it will be difficult for her to do the right thing given the powerful influence the Obama administration has exuded on the trial. In April 2011, President Obama stated that Bradley Manning “broke the law” well before Manning stepped foot in court, unlawfully prejudicing the case and precluding a truly fair trial. Obama must apologize for and retract these remarks.
Call and protest Bradley Manning’s treatment. Demand Obama retract his unlawful remarks declaring Bradley Manning guilty. Demand that he take responsibility for the military torturing Bradley at the Quantico Marine Brig.
312-698-3670
Finally the court is shielding Bradley’s hearings from public scrutiny by keeping essential records secret. Prosecutors do not want Bradley’s motive to play a role in the trial, working to hide the fact that Bradley Manning is a whistle-blower. Chat logs attributed to an online discussion with Bradley reveal his honorable intent: for the public to know the truth, and for that truth to inspire worldwide debate and reform. Pressure the president to acknowledge Bradley Manning’s status as a whistle-blower and to uphold the campaign promise to protect him.
Once you’ve called the main Obama campaign switchboard, consider contacting your regional Obama campaign offices as well.
In historybooks, Bradley Manning will be seen as a hero, defending the free speach and against killing civilians.
I had big hopes for Obama as president, speeking for justice and humanity, now Im so sad to see he is also trying to satisfy groups that wants power and money.
Methinks Obama is scared of being seen as weak by the right-wing ideologues of the US Republican Party, scared of defending his noble principles.
(Just like our very own Julia Gillard, scared to offend the right-wing ideologues of Australia’s ‘Liberal’ Party.)
I just called in to the main Obama campaign switchboard and offered my protest. First time I ever called a campaign office to protest anything. I was really nervous to talk to a live person about my concerns, but I did it!
Every time I have called 1-312-698-3670 since last Friday, Saturday and now Monday, I get put on hold listening to taped music for 5 minutes or more.
Early Saturday, I got a recorded message that stated the Obama campaign HQ office hours in Chicago (CST) to be Monday-Thursday 9:30 am to 7:30 pm, Saturday 9:30 am to 10:30 pm, if my recall is accurate.
The caller is given the option to leave a voice-mail message, but I chose not to do so, preferring to hear and speak to a live person and gauge his/her response.
Peace.
free BRadley Mannning. Whistleblowers serve a central function educating the public! If he were convicted of any wrongdoing it would be disastrous for the reputation of American “democracy”.
RALLY IN SUPPORT OF ALLEGED WIKILEAKS WHISTLEBLOWER PRIVATE BRADLEY MANNING AT THE DOWNTOWN BOSTON OBAMA HDQTRS.
DATE: THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 6, 2012
TIME: STARTING AT 2:00 PM (People will be leafleting downtown from about 11:00 AM and we will stay until about 5:00 PM so join us anytime you can to show your solidarity.)
PLACE: DOWNTOWN BOSTON OBAMA HEADQUARTERS AT 77 SUMMER STREET (NEAR THE DOWNTOWN CROSSING STOP ON THE RED AND ORANGE LINES)
The Boston Smedley Butler Brigade and Samantha Chapter- Veterans for Peace, the Boston Bradley Manning Support Network , Somerville Manning Square Committee and other social activists and concerned citizens support the call by the National Bradley Manning Support Network and others to rally nationwide at local Obama headquarters on Thursday September 6, 2012, the day President Obama is scheduled accept the Democratic Party nomination of president, to call for freedom for alleged WikiLeaks whistleblower, Army Private First Class Bradley Manning. We also will be calling on the president to use his constitutional authority to pardon Private Manning now.
Contact: Pat Scanlon (VN 69’)-Coordinator, VFP Chapter 9, Smedley Butler Brigade [email protected] or Al Johnson-Event Coordinator [email protected]
FREE BRADLEY MANNING-PRESIDENT OBAMA PARDON BRADLEY MANNING NOW!
Check our Facebook page –Downtown Boston Bradley Manning Support Rally-September 6th- http://www.facebook.com/BradleyManningSupportRally#!/BradleyManningSupportRallySeptember6th
Labor donated
Call for action at Obama 2012 offices nationwide Sept. 6th during DNC
The Bradley Manning Support Network, Afghans For Peace and SF Bay Iraq Veterans Against the War Call for Nationwide Actions at local Obama Campaign Offices September 6th 2012 during the Democratic National Convention! Free Bradley Manning!
Since Army PFC Bradley Manning’s arrest in May 2010 for allegedly sharing the “Collateral Murder” video and other evidence of war crimes and government corruption with the whistle-blower website WikiLeaks, progressives and human rights activists have been asking, “Why isn’t President Obama stepping in to help Bradley?”
After all, it was President Obama who in May 2011 declared with regards to protests in the Middle East,
“In the 21st Century, information is power; the truth cannot be hidden; and the legitimacy of governments will ultimately depend on active and informed citizens.”
On Thursday, August 16, US military veterans in Portland OR, Oakland CA, and Los Angeles CA, occupied Obama 2012 campaign offices and faxed a letter of demands to the Obama campaign’s central office. Those letters began:
As those who have spent years serving our country, we have faith that as Commander-in-Chief, President Obama will do the right thing in answering our request.
The letter went on to list the following demands:
That President Obama retract and apologize for remarks made in April 2011, in which he said Bradley Manning “broke the law.” Because President Obama is commander-in-chief, this constitutes unlawful command influence, violating Article 37 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), and prevents Bradley from receiving a fair trial.
That President Obama pardon the accused whistle-blower, taking into consideration his 800 days of pretrial confinement. UN torture chief Juan Mendez called Manning’s treatment “cruel and inhuman,” as it included nine months of solitary confinement at Quantico despite Brig psychiatrists recommending relaxed conditions.
The Bradley Manning Support Network maintains hope that justice will prevail and that President Obama can be the vehicle of change on this issue, but first he needs to hear loud and clear from veterans and civilians across the country that the American people want amends for the unlawful torture of Bradley Manning, and believe he should be freed.
Organizers of the August 16 West Coast actions are now urging others to join them in a nationwide effort to hold actions at many more local Obama campaign offices on September 6th, the day of candidate’s nomination acceptance speech. We want to share messages of support for Bradley with Obama campaign offices from coast to coast.
Please contact [email protected] for more information about attending and/or organizing an event.
Do you have a list of campaign office addresses?