``Free Bradley Manning" vigil coming up

At 5pm, Friday 16th March we'll be holding a Free Bradley Manning vigil Outside U.S. Embassy, London. We will demand that all charges be dropped against Bradley Manning

Bradley Manning is facing 23 charges one carrying the death penalty, accused of exposing war crimes of the U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan. Bradley is being brought back to Ft. Meade Maryland on March 15 and 16 for a pre-court martial prosecution motions hearing. Bradley is in jail for us, we're on the streets for him.

End the Wars! Free Bradley Manning! Drop the Charges!

The March 16th. Vigil at London's U.S. Embassy organised by London Catholic Worker and Veterans for Peace UK.

Closest tubes Bond St., Marble Arch, Oxford St. Hyde Park Corner (download a map to the embassy here). For more info contact Ciaron on ciaronx AT yahoo.com, 079 392 90576. More info on the campaign at WiseUp and CollateralMurder.

Report from last Wednesday's MOD protest

Seven Catholic Workers, a Quaker, a doctor and a priest were detained and searched following the marking of the M.O.D. Buiding in Whitehall in an anti-nuclear weapons action on Ash Wenesday

140 others gathered at an Ash Wednesday event organised by Pax Christi, London Catholic Worker in repentance and resistance to British nuclear weapons. The group proceeded to M.O.D. building on White Hall as activists broke off to mark the building that controls British Nuclear wepaons

During a procession and liturgy those taking part heard how the UK Government's commitment to nuclear deterrence is an on-going challenge. The UK alone has 225 nuclear weapons and the Royal Navy boasts a proud record of over 40 years of uninterrupted nuclear deterrence, as at least one of the four Vanguard-class submarines is on patrol at any time. They that the government might have a change of heart and direction.

A Catholic Worker stated,

British troops on the ground have recently withdrawn from an illegal invasion of Iraq based on the fiction of that country's possession of WMD. The British government and parliamentary opposition expect us to swallow the same lies in a lead up to a war on Iran. Yet the M.O.D. and British government continue to manufacture and deploy nuclear weapons.Ash Wednesday reminds us of the ash that nuclear weapons promises to reduce the world to. Lent is a season of repentance "turning around" from our silence and complicity with these high crimes. The appropriate response continues to be nonviolent resistance to these high crimes and solidarity with our brothers in chains and before the courts for such resistance.We act in solidarity with Jesuit priests Bill Bischell and Steve Kelly and also Susan Crane and many others presently impisoned in the U.S. for resistance to nuclear weapons We are inspired by the resilience of Bradley Manning and the price he continues to pay for speaking truth to power, accused of exposing the war crimes of empire.

This is the 30th. year the M.O.D. has been confronted by christian peace activists on Ash Wednesday. More coverage, including pics, here.

Solidarity vigil for Bradley Manning planned for this Thursday

5pm - 6pm: Stand in solidarity with Bradley Manning in London as he is arraigned for Court Martial in the US. The Vigil will take place at the hour the arraignment is starting at Fort Meade, Maryland.

Meet in front of the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square. Nearest tube: Bond Street. (more details).

If you can't make feel free to text the vigil while it is on - 079 392 90576 - sign off name and town eg. "Ciaron, London" and we'll read out ya solidarity text at the vigil.

You can read a statement from the US Lawyers Guild for the charges to be dismissed here.