Events for Chelsea’s Birthday: Two in London, one in Dublin

Payday Mens’ Network & Queer Strike and the Solidarity Collective call us all to mark Chelsea’s 27th Birthday on Weds 17th December, her fifth birthday spent in prison. There will be vigils and stand outs in a number of cities across the world, with two in London (see below).

17th Dec is also the 4th anniversary of the start of the Tunisian Revolution, which began the Arab Spring, and which Chelsea Manning’s releases to WikiLeaks helped to trigger. And, as we take in the horrors of the long awaited Senate Report on CIA Torture which was finally released on Tuesday, we salute Chelsea for exposing torture, and remember that she, too, was subjected to it.

In London, two events have been announced:

(1) Silent Vigil on the steps of St. Martin-in-the-Fields from 2.30 – 4.00pm organised by Payday & Queer Strike.
(2) Noise Demo outside the US Embassy from 4.30 – 6.00pm organised by the Solidarity Collective.

There will also be an event in Dublin:

Vigil at the Dublin GPO from 6.00 – 6.30pm.

Details of all events below.

(1) Payday Mens’ Network and Queer Strike Vigil

Wed 17 December 2014, 2.30-4pm
VIGIL on the steps of
St Martin-in-the-Fields
Trafalgar Square
London WC2N 4JJ
(St Martin’s requests that vigils on the steps are silent)

Other actions so far include Berlin, Boston, Istanbul, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Venice.

Chelsea Manning is 27 years old on this day.  Formerly known as Bradley, she is the transgender whistleblower, US soldier, Grand Marshal at San Francisco Pride 2014, who revealed US, UK and other governments’ war crimes and corruption.  She leaked hundred of thousands of documents to Wikileaks exposing the truth and therefore saving many lives.

Activists involved in the Tunisian revolution have acknowledged their debt to her for releasing cables that informed their actions, and 17th December also marks the fourth anniversary of the self-immolation of Mohammed Bouazizi, considered to be the start of the revolution. See this ’25th birthday’ post for more.

Imprisoned in 2010 and held for months under torturous conditions, she was sentenced to 35 years in August 2013.

Thanks to Chelsea’s whistleblowing, we the public now know about:

The “collateral murder” video of a US helicopter crew killing Iraqi civilians ● the cover-up of rape in Iraq & Afghanistan ● the secret use of drones for extra-judicial killing ● US dirty tricks in Haiti,Venezuela, Peru & elsewhere ● Egyptian and Palestinian Authority collusion with Israel’s bombing of Gaza . . .

If the sentence stands, she’ll be out in 2045.

We cannot let this happen – we have to get her out!

Sign Amnesty International’s petition for her immediate release.

(2) Solidarity Collective Noise Demo

Previous solidarity event at the US Embassy, London

On 17th December 2014, Welsh-American whistleblower and prisoner of conscience Chelsea Manning will celebrate her 27th birthday, her fifth while incarcerated by the US government. This week we have had mainstream confirmation of the CIA torture program.

This torture took place in what have become known as CIA ‘Black Sites’ across the world. Let’s not forget that that we only know about this because of whistleblowers like Chelsea Manning, John Kiriakou, Craig Murray and WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange, all of whom made significant sacrifices to get this information to us and have suffered persecution for doing so.

Tortured for exposing torture

US military intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning both revealed and was subjected to torture by the US and is now serving 35 years in a military jail. John Kiriakou is the only CIA agent prosecuted over torture – for exposing it – and is serving a 30 month prison sentence in the US for doing so. Craig Murray, a former UK ambassador, was persecuted for revealing how the CIA was sending people to Uzbekistan to be tortured and that both the UK and US were making use of information gained by torture. Julian Assange became a CIA target and subject of a US Grand Jury after exposing via WikiLeaks many US crimes including torture, has been deprived of his liberty for four years and denied his right to travel in order to take up the political asylum he has been granted by Ecuador.

Join Us for a Noise Demo

Join us for a Noise Demo at the US Embassy in support of Chelsea Manning, Julian Assange, WikiLeaks and all whistleblowers and against all torture.

Wed 17 December, 4.30 – 6.00pm
Outside the US Embassy
24 Grosvenor Square
London W1A 2LQ

Come along, make a noise, and show your solidarity with persecuted whistleblowers and your opposition to torture everywhere. The soundtrack of Collateral Murder will be played during the demo, confronting the US with the reality of atrocities perpetrated in its name and for which no one has been brought to justice.

Bring banners, placards, whistles, musical instruments etc.

Free Chelsea Manning!

Download flyer as pdf file here.
(Print double-sided at A4)

(3) Dublin Vigil

Wed 17 December, 6.00 – 6.30pm
GPO Dublin
O’Connell Street Lower
Dublin 1

A previous vigil in support of Chelsea Manning at the GPO Dublin

NB. If you want to show your gratitude to Chelsea on her birthday, the defence fund which will pay for her upcoming appeals is in particular need of your donations at the moment, and see also these other ways in which you can support her.