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London vigil demand to free Chelsea Manning
17 December 2014
Over 60 people representing many different
organisations, were part of the Vigil to celebrate
Chelsea Manning’s birthday, on Wednesday 17 December on
the steps of St Martin-in-the-Fields, in London.
This was part of international actions in 12 cities –
from Dublin to Istanbul, San Francisco to Rome –
demanding the release one of the world’s best known
whistleblowers.
The vigil, called by Payday men’s network and Queer
Strike, brought together supporters of peace, veterans,
lgbtq, anti-racist, anti-zionist, whistleblowers
movements and others for social justice. Campaigners
were from many different countries, including survivors
of torture in Chile, Caribbean Labour Solidarity, people
from the Assange Vigil, and still others. People wrote
messages to Chelsea in a giant birthday card. Hundreds
of passers by from different countries stopped to talk,
take photos and/or join the protest.
Chelsea Manning, who is 27 this week, is the transgender
US soldier, who revealed to Wikileaks war crimes and
corruption by the US, UK and other governments. She was
sentenced to 35 years in August 2013.
The protest received messages of solidarity from
Vivienne Westwood and Pentagon Papers whistleblower
Daniel Elsberg who wrote : “Without the example of
Chelsea Manning, both her disclosures and her treatment
by the Injustice System, we probably would not have the
revelations of Ed Snowden."
Giorgio Riva from Payday added: “Chelsea’s action has
inspired a new movement of whistleblowers, with people
like Edward Snowden, but also thousands of lesser known
people working in institutions of all types. The
authorities hope to make an example of Chelsea in an
attempt to hinder a now unstoppable movement.”
Didi Rossi from Queer Strike said, “Chelsea is our lgbtq
anti-war whistleblower heroine. Her disclosures have
strengthened and protected people from all backgrounds
and communities internationally. We have benefitted from
her whistleblowing and we all have a responsibility to
get her out.”
Chelsea is preparing an appeal for 2015 and many of us
have vowed to continue building the pressure for her
release, so that we can "celebrate her freedom and not
only her birthday the next year" as one participant put
it.
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