5 Reasons to Attend Army Whistleblower Bradley Mannings TrialPlease note that this next week court is not in session on Monday (6/24), Tuesday will be a short day, and the trial will resume as normal Wednesday (6/26) at 9:30 am, with the weekly vigil taking place from 7-8 am that day. Livestream trial update today at 5 pm EST #1: Show The Judge The Public Is Watching Her At the beginning of each day of trial, the prosecuting attorney stands and reads to the court information about the levels of public attendance. During most days of the court martial, seats have remained free in the courtroom, and the overflow trailer which provides video feed of the proceedings has remained unused. We hope youll help us to change this. Judge Lind knows that a high-profile case like this one will be part of her legacy. Shes not supposed to read any news about the trial, but theres no more direct way to show her the importance that her decisions will have for the public than by members of the public taking it upon themselves to fill up her courtroom. #2: Your Attendance Means A Lot To Bradley And His Lawyer Bradley Manning is a 25 year old with a conscience who has already spent three years of his life behind bars, and faces potential life imprisonment, all for trying to serve the public good. Despite the gravity of his situation, he maintains optimism, and his attorney David Coombs has explained that his supporters have a lot to do with that. When Im in the courtroom, I stand up and I look to my right and I see the United States government, the United States government with all of its resources, all of its personnel. I see them standing against me and Brad, and I have to admit to you that can be rather intimidating and I was intimidated, especially when the President of the United States says, Your client broke the law. Especially, when Congress members say, Your client deserves the death penalty. I want to tell you, though, today as I stand here, Im no longer intimidated. I am not intimidated because when I stand up, I know Im not standing alone. I know Im not alone because I turn around and I see the support behind me. I see members here today in the audience that are there every time we have a court hearing. I see, what now Im going to affectionately call the truth battalion, those who wear a black shirt, it has the word truth on it and theyre behind me. I look there and I know that I also have unlimited personnel and unlimited resources. #3: Observe History In Action What happens during Bradleys trial will affect the future of American journalism and whistleblowing, as well as our fundamental right to know what our government does in our name and with our tax dollars. The legal theory being used by the government to charge Bradley with Aiding the Enemy would apply to others who reveal government wrongdoing whether they release 1 document or 1,000, and whether they give information to WikiLeaks or the New York Times. Nobel Peace Laureates, the L.A. Times editorial board, Harvard Law professors, a former State Department Spokesperson and Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg all have condemned this charge. BUT, this trial will not be televised, so attending as a public observer is the only way to see firsthand the precedent that is being set for future generations, and to watch the important players in action. Decades from now, people will still be discussing this trial. Wouldnt you like to be able to tell your children and grandchildren that you were there when it mattered? #4: Communicate To The Media This Is An Issue Worth Covering There may always be something new taking over the airwaves, but major U.S. newspapers still send their reporters to cover Bradleys trial every day its in session. While sitting in the media center, reporters can see whether or not public is in attendance in the Ft. Meade courtroom. They often come to conduct interviews with supporters during court recess. Since attendance at the court martial is one of the most obvious gauges of public interest in the trial that these reporters get to see, the more people who attend the proceedings, the more these papers editors will view this as an issue worthy of their front page. #5: Meet Other selfnewss Interesting people attend the trial from all over the country, and sometimes even the world. There are anti-war veterans from Maryland, lawyers from DC, artists from New York, school teachers from Michigan, and writers from California. And one thing they all have in common is an understanding of the importance this trial carries for one brave young mans life, as well as our ability as citizens promote transparency in government, and to stop unjust war and human rights violations worldwide. More importantly, they all know its up to us to address these issues and take action to make our world a better place. As stated in the Bradley Manning Suppportsolidarity campaign, we are all Bradley Manning. So come to the trial, earn a truth t-shirt, show Bradley and Judge Lind your support in-person, and meet interesting people youll be glad to know well into the future. See directions to the courtroom below. Getting to Ft. Meade to attend the trial Any member of the public with government-issued ID is welcome to attend. Check the Upcoming Events section on www.bradleymanning.org for updates to the trial schedule. Driving to the Front Gate at Maryland 175 and Reece Rd is the easiest way to access the base (get directions via Google maps). If driving, make sure you have up-to-date vehicle registration and drivers license. If you wish to attend the morning session, we recommend arriving at the visitor control center at 9 am in order to pick up a map and clear security before court starts at 9:30 am. If arriving later you will be able to enter during a court recess. Dont have access to a car? Someone from BMSN or a carpool driver can pick you up from Odenton MARC station if you arrive there by 8:45am. E-mail emma@bradleymanning.org to request a pickup. If arriving later without a car, the Odenton MARC station is three miles from the entrance to Ft. Meade and is a walk-able or bike-able road if you so desire. You can also call a Maryland cab to pick you up and take you onto the base. The first day that court is in session each week, we have a vigil from 7-8am in front of the Main Gate at 175 Maryland and Reece Rd. E-mail emma@bradleymanning.org for vigil updates. Read the daily reports from Bradleymanning.org court reporter Nathan Fuller and A.P. commentary here: Read other articles by selfnews Post Here linkwithin_text=Related Articles: 