Actions for Bradley Manning

[Brian]

Every weekly Montrose Peace Vigil through 2014 is listed here on the Support Network's website.

We're grateful to the Bradley Manning Support Network for listing Montrose Peace Vigil on their Events page linked above, and for publicizing our June 7 vigil in a mass email to Southern California supporters last week.

This thread is for promoting and reporting other actions we're taking on Bradley's behalf, besides the weekly Montrose Peace Vigil -- starting with the Solidarity Rally for Bradley Manning in West Hollywood this Saturday, June 8, from 3 to 5 p.m. It's sponsored by Out Against War and LA LGBT Greens. Anni and I will bring our banner to the corner of Santa Monica and San Vincente -- here's their webpage:

orders.bradleymanning.org/support_events/solidarity-rally-for-bradley-manning

[Brian]

Anni and I didn't allow extra time for the traffic along Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood during the annual LGBT Pride festivities, nor did we anticipate the latest water main break in Laurel Canyon, so Roberta preceded us by nearly an hour at the Solidarity Rally for Bradley Manning on Saturday, June 9.

Including the three of us from Montrose Peace Vigil and a couple visiting L.A. who asked to join us and stayed to hold signs and talk to passersby for an hour, there were about a dozen participants from 3 to 5 p.m. We were gladly surrounded by hundreds if not thousands of people walking through the intersection of San Vincente and Santa Monica -- I've marched in Hollywood and downtown, but I've never had as many eyes and ears both eager and available for my message. Mostly, we introduced people to Bradley Manning. Many were curious, asking questions and taking information cards provided by rally organizer Shane of Out Against War. Some asked how they could help. And more than one guy said that Bradley is cute.

When we ordered our 3 by 5 foot Free Bradley banner for $50 in April, the Bradley Manning Support Network sent three of them. We mailed the second banner to Norm and Pearl, frequent Montrose Peace Vigil participants and LGBT activists, who marched it in the May Day parade downtown. On Saturday, we gave the third banner to Greg of Veterans for Peace -- it will now be seen every Sunday at their memorials on the beach of Santa Monica instead of a window on the side of our house.

[Sharon W]

Cincy Sheehan has one of the Bradley Manning banners with her on her bicycle Tour de Peace, tourdepeace.org/the-action.html

I shared the FB photo on Anni's wall.

[Brian]

While the defense puts on its case, the Bradley Manning Support Network is calling for rallies worldwide on Saturday, July 27, as the last coordinated Day of Action during his court martial.

Locally, the sponsors of the Solidarity Rally in West Hollywood that I wrote about last month -- Out Against War and LA LGBT Greens -- are holding another get together at the Federal Building in Westwood on the 27th from noon to 3 p.m. Unfortunately, their Facebook page is restricted. But they've got a page on the Bradley Manning Support Network's website:

orders.bradleymanning.org/support_events/bradley-manning-solidarity-rally

Anni and I plan to represent Montrose Peace Vigil, and we welcome all fellow travelers. Just think, it will be at least ten degrees cooler down there. Stay tuned to this thread for updates in the next two weeks.

[Brian]

Jul 9, 2013 23:00:27 GMT -8 Brian said:

The sponsors of the Bradley Manning Solidarity Rally in West Hollywood that I wrote about last month -- Out Against War and LA LGBT Greens -- are holding another get together at the Federal Building in Westwood from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 27:

orders.bradleymanning.org/support_events/bradley-manning-solidarity-rally

CODEPINK LA will join Saturday's rally in Westwood, we learned from their e-mail blast on Tuesday. I clicked on RSVP and sent an e-mail to Amanda from Anni and me representing Montrose Peace Vigil and adding a link to this message board. In her reply, Amanda wrote: "I remember working with members from Montrose Peace Vigil at a Protest to close Gitmo a few weeks back also at the Westwood Federal Building -- you have a very strong community indeed!" Here's the link to the events page on their website:

codepink.org/calendar.php?id=4201

I also posted a reply yesterday on the Bradley Manning Support Network's events page linked in the quote box above. I can still see my reply on my computer, but Anni can't on hers. Mine includes the line, "Your comment is awaiting moderation." I posted as "Brian of Montrose Peace Vigil," which appears in blue and contains a hyperlink to the homepage of this message board. This is what I wrote:

At least two members of Montrose Peace Vigil will be there by noon on Saturday. We enjoyed meeting Shane of Out Against War at the Solidarity Rally for Bradley Manning that he organized in West Hollywood last month. And today, we were glad to get an e-mail from CODEPINK LA advertising this rally to their mailing list.

[anni]

FREE BRADLEY MANNING

At the corner tonight we'll talk (as the great Joan Rivers suggests) and see who else wants to adventure to the Westside in support of Bradley Manning.

FREE BRADLEY MANNING

[Brian]

Saturday's Solidarity Rally for Bradley Manning in Westwood was a success because of company we kept, but not for the quality of the outreach to the public on Wilshire Boulevard. I counted 52 demonstrators mostly lined along the curb in front of the Federal Building at the peak of the gathering, with a small contingent across the street. Including those who already left and those who came later, maybe 100 people participated in the three hours. But pedestrian traffic was virtually zilch. We got honks from the cars passing at 40 mph and some better connections from those pausing for the occasional red light.

I wore my Montrose Peace Vigil t-shirt, and Anni and I brought the big Bradley Manning banner along with three signs to share. We were glad to see Matt and his girlfriend again, 19 hours after we ran into them at Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil. We met Matt two years ago at our first special vigil for Bradley, which he learned about on the Bradley Manning Support Network's website. I still recognized him because I had just happened to revisit his photo on this message board before he appeared on the corner at 7:02 on Friday.

I spoke with Shane of Out Against War about his listing on the Support Network's website. The reply I posted last Tuesday is still "awaiting moderation," and now the event is over. Shane told me that he posted a reply right after the first two comments you can see at the beginning of July, but he didn't realize that he's the only one who can read it, thanks to the cookies on his computer. Whoever runs the website never posted it. Same with my reply. Now I wonder how many reach outs we might have missed on the site's weekly Montrose Peace Vigil webpages -- I haven't seen any for months, and I've been checking.

[anni]

Jul 27, 2013 23:51:36 GMT -8 Brian said:

I spoke with Shane of Out Against War about his listing on the Support Network's website. The reply I posted last Tuesday is still "awaiting moderation," and now the event is over.

Here's a photo of some of our Free Bradley Manning/Code Pink friends at the vigil on Saturday afternoon:

See Shane 2nd from right!

Guess you know who this is!