Help organize a bus to Ft. Meade for June 1st! Protest for Army WikiLeaks whistle-blower Bradley Manning!
June 1st will mark the beginning of Bradley Manning’s fourth year in prison and the start of his trial. The June 1st Ft. Meade protest for Bradley Manning, co-sponsored by Veterans for Peace and the Bradley Manning Support Network, will be the largest action of our campaign! We are calling for people everywhere to stand up for the Army whistle-blower who risked everything to give the public real facts about our government’s wars in the middle east and foreign policy worldwide. We’ll charter buses from both neighboring Washington D.C. and Baltimore, but we need activists in other cities to organize buses of their own. We can’t book buses, manage ticket sales or arrange housing for supporters from every city that wishes to attend. However, we will provide grants to help:
- Organize a bus with 40 or more people to attend the event on June 1st, and we’ll subsidize the trip in the amount of $500.
- Organize a van of 10 or more people, and we’ll subsidize the trip in the amount of $150.
You can find information on chartering buses on this website, though some local companies may be willing to offer better deals to non-profit causes. There are a number of online crowdfunding websites which could help in selling tickets, but most of them charge a small fee for their services. Asking local organizations to co-sponsor the bus may be a helpful option for funding the bus and/or selling tickets. (Here are a few organizations you can ask.)
Once a commitment has been made to booking a vehicle and a driver, we’ll do what we can to promote the details to other Bradley Manning supporters in your area so they’ll be able to join your “Bus for Bradley.” Please contact [email protected] with additional questions or if you intend to organize a group to come join us in June.
Thank you for supporting Bradley Manning!
I would be coming by myself and staying with a friend in New Jersey or maybe at a nearby motel. Do the protesters go on the base??? If so, what kind of ID is necessary and how do we get from the gate to the courthouse if we don’t have a car? If not, do we assemble outside the main gate or what??? If we do have a car, where can we park??? Would it be better to catch one of your buses in Baltimore??? Where will these be located?
If you are reading this and are in WALES, IRELAND, SCOTLAND or ENGLAND, please see http://wiseupaction.info and GET IN TOUCH to liaise with others planning actions to take place on the same day – SATURDAY 1ST JUNE – a day of international solidarity with Brad.
Let’s work together to send out an unmistakable message, at the very beginning of his trial, that we, the peoples of the world, support Bradley Manning and protest this prosecution!
FREE BRADLEY MANNING!
I’m in St. Louis. I would go if someone from here is going. Please advise.
St. Louis area. Anyone driving out?
Is there a group departing from Western Pennsylvania?
Neil,
I am in Pittsburgh and might want to work on setting up a bus or van. Email me if you (or anyone else in western pa) would like to discuss setting something up from western PA.
Aaron
[email protected]
Any idea how long the trial will be? I might make it by June 7th or 8th and could stay for a few days. Would that be helpful?
The court martial is expected to last 8 to 12 weeks. The Bradley Manning Support Network will have a presence both inside and outside the trial every day.
anyone coming in from Florida? I’m in the Jacksonville area.
I am going to go from NYC on a group bus, but will be looking for a ride back to Jacksonville or Gainesville Fl on Sunday, June 2nd. Will help pay for gas. Let me know. Thanks.
Is there a group departing from the Chicago area?
Remember, numbers count. A few hundred won’t mean squat to these folks. Thousands may send a clear message.
Dear organizers of this event,
Are there camping accommodations for people with little to no money but who have tents? Is there a safe place to set up tents, or will we risk arrest if sleeping in a tent? Please let me know ASAP! Thanks ♥
Really rocked The protest today pretty sure he will be set free now