Wales Terror War Newswire Archive

16 November: Solidarity vigil at Rugby League World Cup Quarter Final in Wrexham.

As Australia geared up to meet the USA in the Rugby League World Cup 2013 quarter-final match in Wrexham last Saturday, we joined the crowds outside the ground to talk with fans about Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning, to sell raffle tickets for the football signed by Assange and collect donations to the Pvt. Manning Family Fund. Our last effort, at the Wales vs USA first round match on 3 November was covered prominently in the Australian magazine Rugby League Week. Text of article can be read in this post.

Over the past few days, supporters of Private Chelsea (formerly Bradley) Manning have been in Wrexham and Liverpool in solidarity with Manning's Welsh family. Close family members living in Pembrokeshire face years of costly travel to the US for prison visits and a family fund has been set up to take donations.

In August, after over three years of pre-trial detention and nearly a year of torture, a military court sentenced Manning to 35 years for revealing evidence about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan - including evidence of war crimes - that the US government was keeping from the public (along with many other things).

PACK A SCRUM OF SOLIDARITY WITH US PRISONER & WHISTLEBLOWER PVT CHELSEA MANNING (FORMERLY BRADLEY MANNING)

Join us in Liverpool and Wrexham as the Rugby League World Cup gets underway

SAT 2 NOV 6pm - 11pm

Live music, films and speakers at The Casa, 29 Hope St, Liverpool
Entry by donation

SUN 3 NOV from 11.30am

Vigil outside the Wales vs USA match at Wrexham Racecourse, Mold Rd, followed by Social nearby in the afternoon.

MON 4 NOV from 9.30am

Join us at Bristol Crown Court where a police prosecution over display of FREE MANNING banners continues.

Curos's head of service development David Clarke said staff were dealing with very angry and upset tenants every day of the week.

Change of court venue - see addition below

My banners (pictured) were seized by Bristol police at the end of May, at the start of a Bradley (Chelsea) Manning solidarity tour of Bristol and south Wales and on the eve of the Manning show trial in the U.S.

The banners were up on the Gatton Rd footbridge over the M32. Read my account of what happened.

I'll be at Bristol Magistrates Court, Marlborough St. on Tuesday 8 October at 9.15am to answer an alleged offence of 'causing danger to road users contrary to section 22(1)(a) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and Schedule 2 to the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988'.

Support (and banners!) welcome.

The other night, we sat in a hotel bar in Pembrokeshire with the Welsh family of U.S. military prisoner Bradley Manning (now Chelsea Manning) as the young soldier they last saw outside prison walls over three years ago starts a 35 year sentence at Ft. Leavenworth. Kansas, U.S.A.

DRONAU MILWROL ALLAN O GYMRU
DIWEDD I LADD GYDA DRONAU

Dewch i ymuno a ni ar 9 Medi - a dywedwch wrth eraill!

MILITARY DRONES OUT OF WALES
END DRONE TERROR KILLING

Please do come to join us on 9th September - and tell others!

Around a dozen people showed up in Queens Square, Wrexham this morning at short notice in visible opposition to the threat of western military action in Syria. The government may have lost the Commons vote last night but there's every chance it won't be able to resist getting involved in some way if the US goes ahead with an attack.

Among those protesting today were two enthusiastic children who made sure the placards were displayed to their best advantage throughout the morning and a Syrian friend who has alreadly lost five cousins and numerous acquaintances in the conflict.

MP Ann Clwyd commented today on the verdict in the trial of Bradley Manning. She said:

"At this point I would throw out some questions... What about the people who sent Manning to Iraq? Let's hear some things about them..."

 http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/31/bradley-manning-uk-supporters

Good idea!

Some news from Bradley Manning's ongoing trial, expected to continue into August, a report and photos from yesterday in Wrexham, and a call-out for solidarity everywhere on Saturday 27 July, which has been called by the Bradley Manning Support Network as an International Day of Action.

UK citizens must stand united if we are to be effective as a peace movement

On the final leg of my five day Bradley Manning solidarity tour of Bristol and south Wales, I headed west from Cardiff early Sunday morning, through Carmarthen and on to Haverfordwest, where members of Bradley's family still live. My aim was to have a solidarity presence in Haverfordwest as Brad's trial begins in the US. See previous reports from: Bristol | Bristol/Cardiff. This report covers Sun 2 and Mon 3 June, with a few photos of banners etc. to illustrate.

Bradley Manning's trial starts Monday 3 June and this weekend activists around the world have been taking action in solidarity, including in London [Photos here | Links to reports etc. here] where around 250 people from all over gathered outside the US Embassy to hear speakers including Peter Tatchell, Vivienne Westwood and Craig Murray, music including David Rovics. There was also an ill-fated banner drop in Bristol [Report here], a smaller one with a replacement banner in Carmarthen and a presence in Cardiff and Haverfordwest. This is a brief report with some photos from Bristol and Cardiff.

Saturday 1 June is an international day of action for Welsh-American WikiLeaks whistleblower Bradley Manning, facing Court Martial on over 20 charges including 'Aiding the Enemy' and a possible sentence of life without parole or even potentially the death penalty if convicted. The trial starts on 3 June and is expected to last over two months. Bradley Manning dared to reveal the truth about US-led wars, US interference around the globe and much more, hoping that this information would trigger "worldwide discussion, debates, and reforms... if not... then we’re doomed as a species." He went on to say "I will officially give up on the society we have if nothing happens."

Brad still has many family members living in Wales. Cardiff Reds Choir/Cor Cochion Caerdydd is organising a solidarity event in Cardiff on 1 June. In London, there will be a protest outside the US Embassy . Worldwide events listed at bradleymanning.org.

In the final week of the 'Loss of Innocence' Exhibition of Children's Art from Gaza at Wrexham Cathedral, Rod Cox came to speak about how he collected this artwork in early 2009 as part of the Aid Convoy in the wake of the 'Operation Cast Lead' bombardment of Gaza by Israel, about the children who created the artwork, their trauma, injuries, lost families, destroyed homes and shattered lives, as well as their hopes for a peaceful future free from fear.

The Exhibition has now moved on to the local Yale College of Further Education where it will be open for viewing by students and the public in the Learning Resource Centre (library) for the next two weeks. From 4 June it will move again to St. Christopher's School in Hightown.

Today, 17 May, is the 100th day of the current Guantánamo hunger strike, with most of the 166 remaining prisoners now refusing food, including British resident Shaker Aamer. Like most of the others, he has not been charged with any crime and has been cleared for release, but with no prospect of actually being freed. Aamer has been held at Guantánamo for 11 years and joined the hunger strike in March. Over 30 prisoners are now being brutally force fed. Some are close to death. A global emergency three days of action has been called.

 http://londonguantanamocampaign.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/what-are-you-doing-on-17-19-may-global.html

One of over 60 protests around the world against the continued detention of Bradley Manning, incarcerated for blowing the whistle on war crimes.

Meet Queens Square, town centre, Wrexham.
10am - 11.30am

We held another drone information stall yesterday in Wrexham.

See also this indymedia report and photos from a previous stall and this recent protest at RAF Waddington from where British armed Reaper drones will be controlled.

There was another demonstration outside the Wrexham branch of Barclays Bank today in solidarity with the people of Gaza and in protest at and to help make people aware of Barclays' links with the arms trade and with Israel.

A small group gathered outside Barclays Bank in Wrexham this morning to stand in solidarity with the people of Gaza.