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Bradley Manning supporters hold vigil as trial verdict is due - London 27.07.2013

 

Supporters of US Army whistleblower Bradley Manning held a vigil on the steps of St. Martin's in the Fields church near Trafalgar Square to call for Manning to be released as the world waited to hear the trial judge's verdict. As we now know, the brave soldier who blew the whistle on US Army war crimes when he released thousands of US Army cables to Wikileaks, has been found guilty of espionage, but was found innocent of the absurd charge of 'aiding the enemy'. To date nobody has stood trial for the war crimes.

  

All photos © 2013 Pete Riches

Do not reproduce, alter, re-transmit or blog my images without my written permission. I remain at all times the copyright owner of this image.

 

Hi-Res, un-watermarked versions of these files are available on application solely at my discretion

If you want to use any image found in my Flickr Photostream, please Email me directly.

 

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about.me/peteriches

Quito (Ecuador), 30 de Julio 2012. Esta mañana en la Cancillería se entrevista con el Canciller Ricardo Patiño la Sra. Christine Assange, madre de Julian Assange. Foto: Fernanda LeMarie - Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Comercio e Integración.

Bradley Manning vigil at US Embassy - London 17.12.2011

 

As part of a 14-country coordinated rally in support of Bradley Manning - the young U.S. Army intelligence analyst who is accused of leaking the “Afghan War Logs” to Wikileaks - a group of supporters of Manning representing Friends of Bradley Manning UK, Veterans for Peace UK, Payday Men's Network, Queer Friends of Bradley Manning and OccupyLSX gathered outside the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square in London's Mayfair for a vigil during which many speakers voiced their extreme concern for the well-being of Manning, and to praise his brave actions.

 

Manning has been held in U.S. military custody for 18 months. He faces multiple charges which would lead to a lifetime of imprisonment if convicted for allegedly sharing a video of a U.S. helicopter attack that killed 11 civilians and seriously wounded two children in Baghdad, Iraq with the WikiLeaks website. The footage had been withheld by the U.S.military from those trying to discover the truth about the attacks. Manning is also accused of leaking what is now referred to as 'The Afghan Logs' - more than 91,000 documents of classified U.S. military logs spanning six years of U.S. occupation of Afghanistan. His pre-trial hearing began before a military tribunal on Friday 16th December at Fort Meade, Maryland, USA, cynically arranged to coincide with Bradley Manning's 24th birthday.

 

Dreadlocked supporter of Bradley Manning, Australian-born Catholic Worker, Christian anarchist and non-violent resister Ciaron O'Reilly told the crowd the latest news from Manning's hearing in Fort Mead, and went on to describe the torture and abuse Manning has endured at the hands of his completely unnaccountable gaolers, first in Quantico and now in Fort Meade. During the 1991 Gulf War, O'Reilly was a member of the 'ANZUS Ploughshares' group which attacked a B-52 Bomber which was on 20-minute scramble alert, at Griffiss AFB near Utica, New York. Their actions put the aircraft out of action for the next two months at the height of the US bombing campaign in Iraq. Together with the other members of the group, he was arrested and sentenced to 13 months in the US penal system. After his return to Australia, O'Reilly took part in the 'Jabiluka Ploughshares' group action which disabled uranium mining equipment in the Northern Territory of Australia in 1998.

 

Veterans for Peace UK's Ben Griffin, a former British SAS soldier who had been discharged from the army after he refused to be redeployed to Iraq - citing not only the "illegal" tactics of United States troops and the policies of coalition forces but also that the invasion itself was illegal, being contrary to international law - spoke to those assembled to emphasise the importance of war resisters. He told the protesters that hearing that even small numbers of people in the outside World were supporting them by protesting gave a huge emotional lift to all those Conscientious Objecters currently in military prisons.

 

“If we are not actively engaged in war resistance then we should be offering our support to those that are". said Griffin. "If it is true that Bradley Manning leaked The Afghan War Logs, The Iraq War Logs and the Collateral Murder video then the last place he should be is in prison. As far as I am concerned he is a Hero. Our countries have committed terrible crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan and it is only right that we should all know exactly what has been happening.”

 

Michael Lyons - also from Veterans for Peace UK - spoke about how reading the Afghan War Logs had confirmed his doubts about the legality of the actions carried out by coalition forces in Afghanistan. In 2010 Lyons - a former Navy medic - applied for Conscientious Objector status after reading the “Afghan War Logs” released by Wikileaks and refused to carry out rifle training in preparation for deployment to Afghanistan. He was sentenced to 7 months in Colchester military prison and was released in November 2011.

 

All photos © 2012 Pete Riches

Do not reproduce, alter or reblog my images without my written permission.

Hi-Res versions of these files are available for license on application. NUJ rates apply.

about.me/peteriches

On Wednesday May 8, 2013, Vivienne Westwood, the fashion designer, made a guest appearance at a panel discussion in the Century Club, on Shaftesbury Avenue in London's West End, entitled, "WikiLeaks: The Bradley Manning Story," the day after she had turned up at the Met Ball in New York carrying the photo of Manning seen here. The event was taking place because the trial by court-martial of Pfc. Manning, who allegedly leaked hundreds of thousands of pages of classified US documents to WikiLeaks, while serving as an intelligence analyst in Iraq, begins on June 3, 2013, almost three years after he was first arrested.

I was part of the panel discussion, along with Chase Madar, a US attorney and the author of "The Passion of Bradley Manning," and Ben Griffin, a former SAS soldier and conscientious objector, who is now a spokesperson for Veterans for Peace UK. I was invited to take part because, in April 2011, I was a media partner for WikiLeaks' release of classified military files relating to the Guantanamo prisoners. The packed-out event also featured Julian Assange speaking by video link from the Ecuadorian Embassy, and two guest speakers -- Peter Tatchell as well as Vivienne Westwood. The moderator was Jolyon Rubinstein, of BBC 3's "The Revolution Will Be Televised."

For Vivienne's defense of Bradley Manning at the Met Ball, see: www.activeresistance.co.uk/ar/?p=3244

For "The Passion of Bradley Manning," see: www.orbooks.com/catalog/bradley-manning/

For Veterans for Peace UK, see: veteransforpeace.org.uk/

For WikiLeaks' Guantanamo Files, see: wikileaks.org/gitmo/

For my series of articles analysing the files, see: www.andyworthington.co.uk/category/2002-2011-the-complete...

For my archive of articles about Bradley Manning, see: www.andyworthington.co.uk/category/bradley-manning/

For the Bradley Manning Support Network, see: www.bradleymanning.org/

For the international day of protest for Bradley Manning on June 1, see: www.bradleymanning.org/featured/rally-for-bradley-manning...

For more on Andy Worthington, see: www.andyworthington.co.uk/

For my most interesting photos, see: www.flickriver.com/photos/andyworthington/popular-interes...

-Photos by

Michael Beasley of Spokane Coalition Builders

 

For Immediate Release: Day before Wikileak of TPP Document - 13

Cities Mobilized to Shine a Light on Secret Trans-Pacific Partnership

"Trade" Deal Telling Congress "Don't Fast Track a Train Wreck - FLUSH

the TPP!"

CONTACT: Bill Moyer 206-356-9980 | bill@backbonecampaign.org

| or Eric Ross 805-776-3882 | eric@backbonecampaign.org

| 805-776-3882 | VoteNoFastTrack.org

SEATTLE - On Tuesday evening citizens in Seattle and 12

other cities appeared on overpasses and roadsides to pull the

Trans-Pacific Partnership, aka TPP, out of the shadows and into the

light of public scrutiny. From Dallas to DC, San Diego to Seattle,

Tucson to Detroit, Baltimore to Bellingham, Spokane to Chicago

people took their messages to interstate overpasses, prominent

monuments, and busy city streets using coordinated daytime and

nighttime, high visibility tactics.

 

They deployed giant banners saying No New NAFTA, mobilized LED light

panels saying "(thumbs up) Democracy, STOP The TPP," and projected with

spotlights messages like "Don't Fast Track A Train Wreck." These

coordinated citizen's actions coincided with ongoing TPP negotiations

taking place in Salt Lake City, Utah from November 12-24

and today's anticipated release by Congressperson Rosa DeLauro and

George Miller detailing the growing opposition to "Fast Track" among

Congress, and preceded today's surprise release by Wikileaks of a leaked

chapter of the secretive "TPP" agreement. [Here

is Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch initial interpretations of the

chapter on intellectual property.]

 

The TPP has been called NAFTA on steroids, a "Corporate Coup," and

concerned citizens from across the nation are calling on Congress to

"Flush It!" and to oppose President Obama's request to renew "Fast

Track" authority to commit our country to this secretive agreement that

has less to do with trade, than it does with dismantling any domestic

policies that undermine future profits for transnational capital and

corporations.

 

Bill Moyer, Executive Director of the Backbone Campaign stated "Only a

bought a sold government would sign a treaty that sacrifices our

capacity as communities and country to pass laws for workers benefit,

and the protection of our communities and our natural resources."

 

The Trans-Pacific Partnership has been negotiated under secrecy for 3

years. Obama is now pushing to have it swiftly approved to much to the

dismay of members of Congress, most of whom haven't even been allowed to

see the text. While Congress is constitutionally required to negotiate

any international treaties, Fast Track or granting Obama Trade Promotion

Authority would forfeit the Congress' responsibility and the public's

right to weigh in on the TPP negotiations.

 

Perhaps in response to growing citizen outrage letters were release

today from both Democrats and Republicans challenging President Obama's

request for renewal of Fast Track authority. [From Today's Public

Citizen announcement: The

 

151-signature DeLauro-Miller letter, additional

 

letter from Democratic Ways & Means members, One

 

of two letters, this led by Representative Walter Jones (R-NC)]

 

One of the illuminated messages on Tuesday read "Corporate Tribunals

WTF?" This referred to how the TPP would give more power to corporate

interests including the ability for foreign companies to sue for

taxpayer compensation if any domestic law diminished the company's expected future profits.

 

Masked as a trade deal, the agreement has been negotiated under

supervision of 600 unelected corporate "trade advisors" while the text

has been hidden from members of Congress, the press, and the public.

What has been learned about the TPP has come through leaked texts, and

is alarming to members of Congress worried about sovereign powers being

negotiated away, public health officials, labor representatives,

environmental groups, and advocates of consumer issues.

 

"The TPP, the largest ever of it's kind, is a race to the bottom

international agreement on domestic and international policies of food

safety, internet freedom, medicine costs, financial regulation, and the

environment," says Kristen Beifus, executive director of Washington Fair

Trade Coalition."

 

Trade Justice organizations have declared December 3rd a "Global Day of

Action Against the TPP to resist toxic trade agreements." Citizens are

urged to take action in their own community, contact their

congressperson, and learn more about the TPP's dismantling of democracy

by visiting VoteNoFastTrack.org.

Citizens can find out where their congressperson stands and tweet them

at pdamerica.org/tpp.

 

Tuesday's coordinated actions were organized by the Backbone Campaign,

which specializes in "amplifying citizen engagement with creative

tactics and artful activism" in collaboration with Public Citizen's

Global Trade Watch, PopularResistance.org, Fair Trade Coalitions in

Washington and Oregon, the Overpass Light

Brigade network, and more.

 

The coordinated day of action follows on the heals of an action in

September when to the surprise of secret service, members and allies of

PopularResistance.org and the Backbone Campaign "redecorated"

the United States Trade Representatives office by scaling the building

and unfurling giant banners demanding a release of the TPP text. The

Backbone Campaign is grateful to Wikileaks for beginning that process.

 

View the growing collection of photos from the 11-12-13 actions HERE.

To speak with organizers of yesterday's day of action please contact

Bill Moyer at 206-356-9980 or Eric Ross at 805-776-3882.

  

Info and Collaborator Web Sites:

Thanks to our many awesome collaborators both mentioned and not!

 

Backbone Campaign

www.flushthetpp.org/

Popular Resistance

Public Citizen's Global Trade

Watch

Washington Fair Trade

Coalition

Oregon Fair Trade

Coalition

Luminous Intervention

Overpass Light

Brigade

Expose The TPP

Overpass Light Brigade PDX

Occupy Bellingham

Occupy Rogers Park

Chicago Overpass Light

Brigade

North Texas Light Brigade

San

Diego Overpass Light Brigade

Occupy Tucson

Occupy Spokane

South Sound

Rising Tide

#TPPMediaMarch

TPPXBorder

TPP

Talking Points

 

###

  

Backbone Campaign's mission is to provide creative strategies, artful

activism trainings, and creative action support to progressive

activists, organizers and organizations around the US and beyond in

order to invigorate and nurture a people-power, community-based, and

internationally-networked nonviolent social movement for human rights,

thriving communities, and ecological well being. Backbone Campaign's

vision is a world where human dignity, community resilience, and

ecological well being is built upon a foundation of democratic

economic and political systems and diverse, thriving culture where

human rights, the rights of communities and nature are truly

inalienable and honored.

Credit: Bradley Manning Support Network / Made available for unrestricted

use by Manning family

Quito (Ecuador), 30 de Julio 2012. Esta mañana en la Cancillería se entrevista con el Canciller Ricardo Patiño la Sra. Christine Assange, madre de Julian Assange. Foto: Fernanda LeMarie - Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Comercio e Integración.

Nearly two thousand supporters of US Army PFC Bradley Manning rallied and marched on Fort Meade, Maryland, this afternoon for the young whistle-blower.

 

Under a sweltering sun, Pentagon Papers whistle-blower Daniel Ellsberg, former political prisoner-turned-human rights advocate Sarah Shourd, LGBT activist and US Army LT Dan Choi, and retired US Army Col. Ann Wright addressed supporters at the Llewellyn Gate, nearest the military courtroom.

 

The demonstration, which lasted several hours, comes two days before Manning’s trial is set to begin at Ft. Meade, on June 3, and three years after his arrest. The government is charging Manning with indirectly “aiding the enemy” for releasing hundreds of thousands of war logs, diplomatic cables, and military videos to the transparency website WikiLeaks.

 

PFC Manning has said that he hoped the releases would “spark a domestic debate on the role of the military and our foreign policy in general as well as it related to Iraq and Afghanistan.”

 

A dozen chartered buses brought supporters from across the northeast, including three buses from New York City. Military veterans and activists traveled from around North America—some arriving from as far as Michigan, Montreal, and Mexico City.

 

“People came from great distances to stand with a true American hero,” said Jeff Paterson, director of the Bradley Manning Support Network. “From Bradley’s demeanor in court, it’s clear he takes strength from the outpouring of support.”

 

Today’s rally was held with the assistance of many national organizations, including Veterans for Peace, Iraq Veterans Against the War, CODEPINK Women for Peace, World Can’t Wait, and Courage to Resist.

 

Photo credit: Owen Wiltshire, Bradley Manning Support Network

Shining Light on Secret TPP agreement & calling on Congress to

STOP Fast Track

For Immediate Release: Day before Wikileak of TPP Document - 13 Cities

Mobilized to Shine a Light on Secret Trans-Pacific Partnership "Trade"

Deal Telling Congress "Don't Fast Track a Train Wreck - FLUSH the

TPP!"

CONTACT: Bill Moyer 206-356-9980 | bill@backbonecampaign.org

| or Eric Ross 805-776-3882 | eric@backbonecampaign.org

| 805-776-3882 | VoteNoFastTrack.org

SEATTLE - On Tuesday evening citizens in Seattle and 12

other cities appeared on overpasses and roadsides to pull the

Trans-Pacific Partnership, aka TPP, out of the shadows and into the

light of public scrutiny. From Dallas to DC, San Diego to Seattle,

Tucson to Detroit, Baltimore to Bellingham, Spokane to Chicago

people took their messages to interstate overpasses, prominent

monuments, and busy city streets using coordinated daytime and

nighttime, high visibility tactics.

 

They deployed giant banners saying No New NAFTA, mobilized LED light

panels saying "(thumbs up) Democracy, STOP The TPP," and projected with

spotlights messages like "Don't Fast Track A Train Wreck." These

coordinated citizen's actions coincided with ongoing TPP negotiations

taking place in Salt Lake City, Utah from November 12-24

and today's anticipated release by Congressperson Rosa DeLauro and

George Miller detailing the growing opposition to "Fast Track" among

Congress, and preceded today's surprise release by Wikileaks of a leaked

chapter of the secretive "TPP" agreement. [Here

is Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch initial interpretations of the

chapter on intellectual property.]

 

The TPP has been called NAFTA on steroids, a "Corporate Coup," and

concerned citizens from across the nation are calling on Congress to

"Flush It!" and to oppose President Obama's request to renew "Fast

Track" authority to commit our country to this secretive agreement that

has less to do with trade, than it does with dismantling any domestic

policies that undermine future profits for transnational capital and

corporations.

 

Bill Moyer, Executive Director of the Backbone Campaign stated "Only a

bought a sold government would sign a treaty that sacrifices our

capacity as communities and country to pass laws for workers benefit,

and the protection of our communities and our natural resources."

 

The Trans-Pacific Partnership has been negotiated under secrecy for 3

years. Obama is now pushing to have it swiftly approved to much to the

dismay of members of Congress, most of whom haven't even been allowed to

see the text. While Congress is constitutionally required to negotiate

any international treaties, Fast Track or granting Obama Trade Promotion

Authority would forfeit the Congress' responsibility and the public's

right to weigh in on the TPP negotiations.

 

Perhaps in response to growing citizen outrage letters were release

today from both Democrats and Republicans challenging President Obama's

request for renewal of Fast Track authority. [From Today's Public

Citizen announcement: The

 

151-signature DeLauro-Miller letter, additional

 

letter from Democratic Ways & Means members, One

 

of two letters, this led by Representative Walter Jones (R-NC)]

 

One of the illuminated messages on Tuesday read "Corporate Tribunals

WTF?" This referred to how the TPP would give more power to corporate

interests including the ability for foreign companies to sue for

taxpayer compensation if any domestic law diminished the company's expected future profits.

 

Masked as a trade deal, the agreement has been negotiated under

supervision of 600 unelected corporate "trade advisors" while the text

has been hidden from members of Congress, the press, and the public.

What has been learned about the TPP has come through leaked texts, and

is alarming to members of Congress worried about sovereign powers being

negotiated away, public health officials, labor representatives,

environmental groups, and advocates of consumer issues.

 

"The TPP, the largest ever of it's kind, is a race to the bottom

international agreement on domestic and international policies of food

safety, internet freedom, medicine costs, financial regulation, and the

environment," says Kristen Beifus, executive director of Washington Fair

Trade Coalition."

 

Trade Justice organizations have declared December 3rd a "Global Day of

Action Against the TPP to resist toxic trade agreements." Citizens are

urged to take action in their own community, contact their

congressperson, and learn more about the TPP's dismantling of democracy

by visiting VoteNoFastTrack.org.

Citizens can find out where their congressperson stands and tweet them

at pdamerica.org/tpp.

 

Tuesday's coordinated actions were organized by the Backbone Campaign,

which specializes in "amplifying citizen engagement with creative

tactics and artful activism" in collaboration with Public Citizen's

Global Trade Watch, PopularResistance.org, Fair Trade Coalitions in

Washington and Oregon, and more.

 

The coordinated day of action follows on the heals of an action in

September when to the surprise of secret service, members and allies of

PopularResistance.org and the Backbone Campaign "redecorated"

the United States Trade Representatives office by scaling the building

and unfurling giant banners demanding a release of the TPP text. The

Backbone Campaign is grateful to Wikileaks for beginning that process.

 

View the growing collection of photos from the 11-12-13 actions HERE.

To speak with organizers of yesterday's day of action please contact

Bill Moyer at 206-356-9980 or Eric Ross at 805-776-3882.

  

Info and Collaborator Web Sites:

Thanks to our many awesome collaborators both mentioned and not!

 

Backbone Campaign

www.flushthetpp.org/

Popular Resistance

Public Citizen's Global Trade

Watch

Washington Fair Trade

Coalition

Oregon Fair Trade

Coalition

Luminous Intervention

Expose The TPP

Overpass Light Brigade PDX

Occupy Bellingham

Occupy Rogers Park

Chicago Overpass Light

Brigade

North Texas Light Brigade

San

Diego Overpass Light Brigade

Occupy Tucson

Occupy Spokane

South Sound

Rising Tide

TPPXBorder

TPP

Talking Points

 

###

  

Backbone Campaign's mission is to provide creative strategies, artful

activism trainings, and creative action support to progressive

activists, organizers and organizations around the US and beyond in

order to invigorate and nurture a people-power, community-based, and

internationally-networked nonviolent social movement for human rights,

thriving communities, and ecological well being. Backbone Campaign's

vision is a world where human dignity, community resilience, and

ecological well being is built upon a foundation of democratic

economic and political systems and diverse, thriving culture where

human rights, the rights of communities and nature are truly

inalienable and honored.

Shining Light on Secret TPP agreement & calling on Congress to

STOP Fast Track

For Immediate Release: Day before Wikileak of TPP Document - 13 Cities

Mobilized to Shine a Light on Secret Trans-Pacific Partnership "Trade"

Deal Telling Congress "Don't Fast Track a Train Wreck - FLUSH the

TPP!"

CONTACT: Bill Moyer 206-356-9980 | bill@backbonecampaign.org

| or Eric Ross 805-776-3882 | eric@backbonecampaign.org

| 805-776-3882 | VoteNoFastTrack.org

SEATTLE - On Tuesday evening citizens in Seattle and 12

other cities appeared on overpasses and roadsides to pull the

Trans-Pacific Partnership, aka TPP, out of the shadows and into the

light of public scrutiny. From Dallas to DC, San Diego to Seattle,

Tucson to Detroit, Baltimore to Bellingham, Spokane to Chicago

people took their messages to interstate overpasses, prominent

monuments, and busy city streets using coordinated daytime and

nighttime, high visibility tactics.

 

They deployed giant banners saying No New NAFTA, mobilized LED light

panels saying "(thumbs up) Democracy, STOP The TPP," and projected with

spotlights messages like "Don't Fast Track A Train Wreck." These

coordinated citizen's actions coincided with ongoing TPP negotiations

taking place in Salt Lake City, Utah from November 12-24

and today's anticipated release by Congressperson Rosa DeLauro and

George Miller detailing the growing opposition to "Fast Track" among

Congress, and preceded today's surprise release by Wikileaks of a leaked

chapter of the secretive "TPP" agreement. [Here

is Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch initial interpretations of the

chapter on intellectual property.]

 

The TPP has been called NAFTA on steroids, a "Corporate Coup," and

concerned citizens from across the nation are calling on Congress to

"Flush It!" and to oppose President Obama's request to renew "Fast

Track" authority to commit our country to this secretive agreement that

has less to do with trade, than it does with dismantling any domestic

policies that undermine future profits for transnational capital and

corporations.

 

Bill Moyer, Executive Director of the Backbone Campaign stated "Only a

bought a sold government would sign a treaty that sacrifices our

capacity as communities and country to pass laws for workers benefit,

and the protection of our communities and our natural resources."

 

The Trans-Pacific Partnership has been negotiated under secrecy for 3

years. Obama is now pushing to have it swiftly approved to much to the

dismay of members of Congress, most of whom haven't even been allowed to

see the text. While Congress is constitutionally required to negotiate

any international treaties, Fast Track or granting Obama Trade Promotion

Authority would forfeit the Congress' responsibility and the public's

right to weigh in on the TPP negotiations.

 

Perhaps in response to growing citizen outrage letters were release

today from both Democrats and Republicans challenging President Obama's

request for renewal of Fast Track authority. [From Today's Public

Citizen announcement: The

 

151-signature DeLauro-Miller letter, additional

 

letter from Democratic Ways & Means members, One

 

of two letters, this led by Representative Walter Jones (R-NC)]

 

One of the illuminated messages on Tuesday read "Corporate Tribunals

WTF?" This referred to how the TPP would give more power to corporate

interests including the ability for foreign companies to sue for

taxpayer compensation if any domestic law diminished the company's expected future profits.

 

Masked as a trade deal, the agreement has been negotiated under

supervision of 600 unelected corporate "trade advisors" while the text

has been hidden from members of Congress, the press, and the public.

What has been learned about the TPP has come through leaked texts, and

is alarming to members of Congress worried about sovereign powers being

negotiated away, public health officials, labor representatives,

environmental groups, and advocates of consumer issues.

 

"The TPP, the largest ever of it's kind, is a race to the bottom

international agreement on domestic and international policies of food

safety, internet freedom, medicine costs, financial regulation, and the

environment," says Kristen Beifus, executive director of Washington Fair

Trade Coalition."

 

Trade Justice organizations have declared December 3rd a "Global Day of

Action Against the TPP to resist toxic trade agreements." Citizens are

urged to take action in their own community, contact their

congressperson, and learn more about the TPP's dismantling of democracy

by visiting VoteNoFastTrack.org.

Citizens can find out where their congressperson stands and tweet them

at pdamerica.org/tpp.

 

Tuesday's coordinated actions were organized by the Backbone Campaign,

which specializes in "amplifying citizen engagement with creative

tactics and artful activism" in collaboration with Public Citizen's

Global Trade Watch, PopularResistance.org, Fair Trade Coalitions in

Washington and Oregon, and more.

 

The coordinated day of action follows on the heals of an action in

September when to the surprise of secret service, members and allies of

PopularResistance.org and the Backbone Campaign "redecorated"

the United States Trade Representatives office by scaling the building

and unfurling giant banners demanding a release of the TPP text. The

Backbone Campaign is grateful to Wikileaks for beginning that process.

 

View the growing collection of photos from the 11-12-13 actions HERE.

To speak with organizers of yesterday's day of action please contact

Bill Moyer at 206-356-9980 or Eric Ross at 805-776-3882.

  

Info and Collaborator Web Sites:

Thanks to our many awesome collaborators both mentioned and not!

 

Backbone Campaign

www.flushthetpp.org/

Popular Resistance

Public Citizen's Global Trade

Watch

Washington Fair Trade

Coalition

Oregon Fair Trade

Coalition

Luminous Intervention

Expose The TPP

Overpass Light Brigade PDX

Occupy Bellingham

Occupy Rogers Park

Chicago Overpass Light

Brigade

North Texas Light Brigade

San

Diego Overpass Light Brigade

Occupy Tucson

Occupy Spokane

South Sound

Rising Tide

TPPXBorder

TPP

Talking Points

 

###

  

Backbone Campaign's mission is to provide creative strategies, artful

activism trainings, and creative action support to progressive

activists, organizers and organizations around the US and beyond in

order to invigorate and nurture a people-power, community-based, and

internationally-networked nonviolent social movement for human rights,

thriving communities, and ecological well being. Backbone Campaign's

vision is a world where human dignity, community resilience, and

ecological well being is built upon a foundation of democratic

economic and political systems and diverse, thriving culture where

human rights, the rights of communities and nature are truly

inalienable and honored.

-Photos by

Michael Beasley of Spokane Coalition Builders

 

For Immediate Release: Day before Wikileak of TPP Document - 13

Cities Mobilized to Shine a Light on Secret Trans-Pacific Partnership

"Trade" Deal Telling Congress "Don't Fast Track a Train Wreck - FLUSH

the TPP!"

CONTACT: Bill Moyer 206-356-9980 | bill@backbonecampaign.org

| or Eric Ross 805-776-3882 | eric@backbonecampaign.org

| 805-776-3882 | VoteNoFastTrack.org

SEATTLE - On Tuesday evening citizens in Seattle and 12

other cities appeared on overpasses and roadsides to pull the

Trans-Pacific Partnership, aka TPP, out of the shadows and into the

light of public scrutiny. From Dallas to DC, San Diego to Seattle,

Tucson to Detroit, Baltimore to Bellingham, Spokane to Chicago

people took their messages to interstate overpasses, prominent

monuments, and busy city streets using coordinated daytime and

nighttime, high visibility tactics.

 

They deployed giant banners saying No New NAFTA, mobilized LED light

panels saying "(thumbs up) Democracy, STOP The TPP," and projected with

spotlights messages like "Don't Fast Track A Train Wreck." These

coordinated citizen's actions coincided with ongoing TPP negotiations

taking place in Salt Lake City, Utah from November 12-24

and today's anticipated release by Congressperson Rosa DeLauro and

George Miller detailing the growing opposition to "Fast Track" among

Congress, and preceded today's surprise release by Wikileaks of a leaked

chapter of the secretive "TPP" agreement. [Here

is Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch initial interpretations of the

chapter on intellectual property.]

 

The TPP has been called NAFTA on steroids, a "Corporate Coup," and

concerned citizens from across the nation are calling on Congress to

"Flush It!" and to oppose President Obama's request to renew "Fast

Track" authority to commit our country to this secretive agreement that

has less to do with trade, than it does with dismantling any domestic

policies that undermine future profits for transnational capital and

corporations.

 

Bill Moyer, Executive Director of the Backbone Campaign stated "Only a

bought a sold government would sign a treaty that sacrifices our

capacity as communities and country to pass laws for workers benefit,

and the protection of our communities and our natural resources."

 

The Trans-Pacific Partnership has been negotiated under secrecy for 3

years. Obama is now pushing to have it swiftly approved to much to the

dismay of members of Congress, most of whom haven't even been allowed to

see the text. While Congress is constitutionally required to negotiate

any international treaties, Fast Track or granting Obama Trade Promotion

Authority would forfeit the Congress' responsibility and the public's

right to weigh in on the TPP negotiations.

 

Perhaps in response to growing citizen outrage letters were release

today from both Democrats and Republicans challenging President Obama's

request for renewal of Fast Track authority. [From Today's Public

Citizen announcement: The

 

151-signature DeLauro-Miller letter, additional

 

letter from Democratic Ways & Means members, One

 

of two letters, this led by Representative Walter Jones (R-NC)]

 

One of the illuminated messages on Tuesday read "Corporate Tribunals

WTF?" This referred to how the TPP would give more power to corporate

interests including the ability for foreign companies to sue for

taxpayer compensation if any domestic law diminished the company's expected future profits.

 

Masked as a trade deal, the agreement has been negotiated under

supervision of 600 unelected corporate "trade advisors" while the text

has been hidden from members of Congress, the press, and the public.

What has been learned about the TPP has come through leaked texts, and

is alarming to members of Congress worried about sovereign powers being

negotiated away, public health officials, labor representatives,

environmental groups, and advocates of consumer issues.

 

"The TPP, the largest ever of it's kind, is a race to the bottom

international agreement on domestic and international policies of food

safety, internet freedom, medicine costs, financial regulation, and the

environment," says Kristen Beifus, executive director of Washington Fair

Trade Coalition."

 

Trade Justice organizations have declared December 3rd a "Global Day of

Action Against the TPP to resist toxic trade agreements." Citizens are

urged to take action in their own community, contact their

congressperson, and learn more about the TPP's dismantling of democracy

by visiting VoteNoFastTrack.org.

Citizens can find out where their congressperson stands and tweet them

at pdamerica.org/tpp.

 

Tuesday's coordinated actions were organized by the Backbone Campaign,

which specializes in "amplifying citizen engagement with creative

tactics and artful activism" in collaboration with Public Citizen's

Global Trade Watch, PopularResistance.org, Fair Trade Coalitions in

Washington and Oregon, the Overpass Light

Brigade network, and more.

 

The coordinated day of action follows on the heals of an action in

September when to the surprise of secret service, members and allies of

PopularResistance.org and the Backbone Campaign "redecorated"

the United States Trade Representatives office by scaling the building

and unfurling giant banners demanding a release of the TPP text. The

Backbone Campaign is grateful to Wikileaks for beginning that process.

 

View the growing collection of photos from the 11-12-13 actions HERE.

To speak with organizers of yesterday's day of action please contact

Bill Moyer at 206-356-9980 or Eric Ross at 805-776-3882.

  

Info and Collaborator Web Sites:

Thanks to our many awesome collaborators both mentioned and not!

 

Backbone Campaign

www.flushthetpp.org/

Popular Resistance

Public Citizen's Global Trade

Watch

Washington Fair Trade

Coalition

Oregon Fair Trade

Coalition

Luminous Intervention

Overpass Light

Brigade

Expose The TPP

Overpass Light Brigade PDX

Occupy Bellingham

Occupy Rogers Park

Chicago Overpass Light

Brigade

North Texas Light Brigade

San

Diego Overpass Light Brigade

Occupy Tucson

Occupy Spokane

South Sound

Rising Tide

#TPPMediaMarch

TPPXBorder

TPP

Talking Points

 

###

  

Backbone Campaign's mission is to provide creative strategies, artful

activism trainings, and creative action support to progressive

activists, organizers and organizations around the US and beyond in

order to invigorate and nurture a people-power, community-based, and

internationally-networked nonviolent social movement for human rights,

thriving communities, and ecological well being. Backbone Campaign's

vision is a world where human dignity, community resilience, and

ecological well being is built upon a foundation of democratic

economic and political systems and diverse, thriving culture where

human rights, the rights of communities and nature are truly

inalienable and honored.

- Photos by Ryan Harris

 

For Immediate Release: Day before Wikileak of TPP Document - 13

Cities Mobilized to Shine a Light on Secret Trans-Pacific Partnership

"Trade" Deal Telling Congress "Don't Fast Track a Train Wreck - FLUSH

the TPP!"

CONTACT: Bill Moyer 206-356-9980 | bill@backbonecampaign.org

| or Eric Ross 805-776-3882 | eric@backbonecampaign.org

| 805-776-3882 | VoteNoFastTrack.org

SEATTLE - On Tuesday evening citizens in Seattle and 12

other cities appeared on overpasses and roadsides to pull the

Trans-Pacific Partnership, aka TPP, out of the shadows and into the

light of public scrutiny. From Dallas to DC, San Diego to Seattle,

Tucson to Detroit, Baltimore to Bellingham, Spokane to Chicago

people took their messages to interstate overpasses, prominent

monuments, and busy city streets using coordinated daytime and

nighttime, high visibility tactics.

 

They deployed giant banners saying No New NAFTA, mobilized LED light

panels saying "(thumbs up) Democracy, STOP The TPP," and projected with

spotlights messages like "Don't Fast Track A Train Wreck." These

coordinated citizen's actions coincided with ongoing TPP negotiations

taking place in Salt Lake City, Utah from November 12-24

and today's anticipated release by Congressperson Rosa DeLauro and

George Miller detailing the growing opposition to "Fast Track" among

Congress, and preceded today's surprise release by Wikileaks of a leaked

chapter of the secretive "TPP" agreement. [Here

is Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch initial interpretations of the

chapter on intellectual property.]

 

The TPP has been called NAFTA on steroids, a "Corporate Coup," and

concerned citizens from across the nation are calling on Congress to

"Flush It!" and to oppose President Obama's request to renew "Fast

Track" authority to commit our country to this secretive agreement that

has less to do with trade, than it does with dismantling any domestic

policies that undermine future profits for transnational capital and

corporations.

 

Bill Moyer, Executive Director of the Backbone Campaign stated "Only a

bought a sold government would sign a treaty that sacrifices our

capacity as communities and country to pass laws for workers benefit,

and the protection of our communities and our natural resources."

 

The Trans-Pacific Partnership has been negotiated under secrecy for 3

years. Obama is now pushing to have it swiftly approved to much to the

dismay of members of Congress, most of whom haven't even been allowed to

see the text. While Congress is constitutionally required to negotiate

any international treaties, Fast Track or granting Obama Trade Promotion

Authority would forfeit the Congress' responsibility and the public's

right to weigh in on the TPP negotiations.

 

Perhaps in response to growing citizen outrage letters were release

today from both Democrats and Republicans challenging President Obama's

request for renewal of Fast Track authority. [From Today's Public

Citizen announcement: The

 

151-signature DeLauro-Miller letter, additional

 

letter from Democratic Ways & Means members, One

 

of two letters, this led by Representative Walter Jones (R-NC)]

 

One of the illuminated messages on Tuesday read "Corporate Tribunals

WTF?" This referred to how the TPP would give more power to corporate

interests including the ability for foreign companies to sue for

taxpayer compensation if any domestic law diminished the company's expected future profits.

 

Masked as a trade deal, the agreement has been negotiated under

supervision of 600 unelected corporate "trade advisors" while the text

has been hidden from members of Congress, the press, and the public.

What has been learned about the TPP has come through leaked texts, and

is alarming to members of Congress worried about sovereign powers being

negotiated away, public health officials, labor representatives,

environmental groups, and advocates of consumer issues.

 

"The TPP, the largest ever of it's kind, is a race to the bottom

international agreement on domestic and international policies of food

safety, internet freedom, medicine costs, financial regulation, and the

environment," says Kristen Beifus, executive director of Washington Fair

Trade Coalition."

 

Trade Justice organizations have declared December 3rd a "Global Day of

Action Against the TPP to resist toxic trade agreements." Citizens are

urged to take action in their own community, contact their

congressperson, and learn more about the TPP's dismantling of democracy

by visiting VoteNoFastTrack.org.

Citizens can find out where their congressperson stands and tweet them

at pdamerica.org/tpp.

 

Tuesday's coordinated actions were organized by the Backbone Campaign,

which specializes in "amplifying citizen engagement with creative

tactics and artful activism" in collaboration with Public Citizen's

Global Trade Watch, PopularResistance.org, Fair Trade Coalitions in

Washington and Oregon, the Overpass Light

Brigade network, and more.

 

The coordinated day of action follows on the heals of an action in

September when to the surprise of secret service, members and allies of

PopularResistance.org and the Backbone Campaign "redecorated"

the United States Trade Representatives office by scaling the building

and unfurling giant banners demanding a release of the TPP text. The

Backbone Campaign is grateful to Wikileaks for beginning that process.

 

View the growing collection of photos from the 11-12-13 actions HERE.

To speak with organizers of yesterday's day of action please contact

Bill Moyer at 206-356-9980 or Eric Ross at 805-776-3882.

  

Info and Collaborator Web Sites:

Thanks to our many awesome collaborators both mentioned and not!

 

Backbone Campaign

www.flushthetpp.org/

Popular Resistance

Public Citizen's Global Trade

Watch

Washington Fair Trade

Coalition

Oregon Fair Trade

Coalition

Luminous Intervention

Overpass Light

Brigade

Expose The TPP

Overpass Light Brigade PDX

Occupy Bellingham

Occupy Rogers Park

Chicago Overpass Light

Brigade

North Texas Light Brigade

San

Diego Overpass Light Brigade

Occupy Tucson

Occupy Spokane

South Sound

Rising Tide

#TPPMediaMarch

TPPXBorder

TPP

Talking Points

 

###

  

Backbone Campaign's mission is to provide creative strategies, artful

activism trainings, and creative action support to progressive

activists, organizers and organizations around the US and beyond in

order to invigorate and nurture a people-power, community-based, and

internationally-networked nonviolent social movement for human rights,

thriving communities, and ecological well being. Backbone Campaign's

vision is a world where human dignity, community resilience, and

ecological well being is built upon a foundation of democratic

economic and political systems and diverse, thriving culture where

human rights, the rights of communities and nature are truly

inalienable and honored.

Bradley Manning vigil at US Embassy - London 17.12.2011

 

As part of a 14-country coordinated rally in support of Bradley Manning - the young U.S. Army intelligence analyst who is accused of leaking the “Afghan War Logs” to Wikileaks - a group of supporters of Manning representing Friends of Bradley Manning UK, Veterans for Peace UK, Payday Men's Network, Queer Friends of Bradley Manning and OccupyLSX gathered outside the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square in London's Mayfair for a vigil during which many speakers voiced their extreme concern for the well-being of Manning, and to praise his brave actions.

 

Manning has been held in U.S. military custody for 18 months. He faces multiple charges which would lead to a lifetime of imprisonment if convicted for allegedly sharing a video of a U.S. helicopter attack that killed 11 civilians and seriously wounded two children in Baghdad, Iraq with the WikiLeaks website. The footage had been withheld by the U.S.military from those trying to discover the truth about the attacks. Manning is also accused of leaking what is now referred to as 'The Afghan Logs' - more than 91,000 documents of classified U.S. military logs spanning six years of U.S. occupation of Afghanistan. His pre-trial hearing began before a military tribunal on Friday 16th December at Fort Meade, Maryland, USA, cynically arranged to coincide with Bradley Manning's 24th birthday.

 

Dreadlocked supporter of Bradley Manning, Australian-born Catholic Worker, Christian anarchist and non-violent resister Ciaron O'Reilly told the crowd the latest news from Manning's hearing in Fort Mead, and went on to describe the torture and abuse Manning has endured at the hands of his completely unnaccountable gaolers, first in Quantico and now in Fort Meade. During the 1991 Gulf War, O'Reilly was a member of the 'ANZUS Ploughshares' group which attacked a B-52 Bomber which was on 20-minute scramble alert, at Griffiss AFB near Utica, New York. Their actions put the aircraft out of action for the next two months at the height of the US bombing campaign in Iraq. Together with the other members of the group, he was arrested and sentenced to 13 months in the US penal system. After his return to Australia, O'Reilly took part in the 'Jabiluka Ploughshares' group action which disabled uranium mining equipment in the Northern Territory of Australia in 1998.

 

Veterans for Peace UK's Ben Griffin, a former British SAS soldier who had been discharged from the army after he refused to be redeployed to Iraq - citing not only the "illegal" tactics of United States troops and the policies of coalition forces but also that the invasion itself was illegal, being contrary to international law - spoke to those assembled to emphasise the importance of war resisters. He told the protesters that hearing that even small numbers of people in the outside World were supporting them by protesting gave a huge emotional lift to all those Conscientious Objecters currently in military prisons.

 

“If we are not actively engaged in war resistance then we should be offering our support to those that are". said Griffin. "If it is true that Bradley Manning leaked The Afghan War Logs, The Iraq War Logs and the Collateral Murder video then the last place he should be is in prison. As far as I am concerned he is a Hero. Our countries have committed terrible crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan and it is only right that we should all know exactly what has been happening.”

 

Michael Lyons - also from Veterans for Peace UK - spoke about how reading the Afghan War Logs had confirmed his doubts about the legality of the actions carried out by coalition forces in Afghanistan. In 2010 Lyons - a former Navy medic - applied for Conscientious Objector status after reading the “Afghan War Logs” released by Wikileaks and refused to carry out rifle training in preparation for deployment to Afghanistan. He was sentenced to 7 months in Colchester military prison and was released in November 2011.

 

All photos © 2012 Pete Riches

Do not reproduce, alter or reblog my images without my written permission.

Hi-Res versions of these files are available for license on application. NUJ rates apply.

about.me/peteriches

The Afghan War Diary published by Wikileaks. A thrilling meeting @ Frontline Club in London

Credit: Bradley Manning Support Network / Made available for unrestricted

use by Manning family

Bradley Manning vigil at US Embassy - London 17.12.2011

 

As part of a 14-country coordinated rally in support of Bradley Manning - the young U.S. Army intelligence analyst who is accused of leaking the “Afghan War Logs” to Wikileaks - a group of supporters of Manning representing Friends of Bradley Manning UK, Veterans for Peace UK, Payday Men's Network, Queer Friends of Bradley Manning and OccupyLSX gathered outside the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square in London's Mayfair for a vigil during which many speakers voiced their extreme concern for the well-being of Manning, and to praise his brave actions.

 

Manning has been held in U.S. military custody for 18 months. He faces multiple charges which would lead to a lifetime of imprisonment if convicted for allegedly sharing a video of a U.S. helicopter attack that killed 11 civilians and seriously wounded two children in Baghdad, Iraq with the WikiLeaks website. The footage had been withheld by the U.S.military from those trying to discover the truth about the attacks. Manning is also accused of leaking what is now referred to as 'The Afghan Logs' - more than 91,000 documents of classified U.S. military logs spanning six years of U.S. occupation of Afghanistan. His pre-trial hearing began before a military tribunal on Friday 16th December at Fort Meade, Maryland, USA, cynically arranged to coincide with Bradley Manning's 24th birthday.

 

Dreadlocked supporter of Bradley Manning, Australian-born Catholic Worker, Christian anarchist and non-violent resister Ciaron O'Reilly told the crowd the latest news from Manning's hearing in Fort Mead, and went on to describe the torture and abuse Manning has endured at the hands of his completely unnaccountable gaolers, first in Quantico and now in Fort Meade. During the 1991 Gulf War, O'Reilly was a member of the 'ANZUS Ploughshares' group which attacked a B-52 Bomber which was on 20-minute scramble alert, at Griffiss AFB near Utica, New York. Their actions put the aircraft out of action for the next two months at the height of the US bombing campaign in Iraq. Together with the other members of the group, he was arrested and sentenced to 13 months in the US penal system. After his return to Australia, O'Reilly took part in the 'Jabiluka Ploughshares' group action which disabled uranium mining equipment in the Northern Territory of Australia in 1998.

 

Veterans for Peace UK's Ben Griffin, a former British SAS soldier who had been discharged from the army after he refused to be redeployed to Iraq - citing not only the "illegal" tactics of United States troops and the policies of coalition forces but also that the invasion itself was illegal, being contrary to international law - spoke to those assembled to emphasise the importance of war resisters. He told the protesters that hearing that even small numbers of people in the outside World were supporting them by protesting gave a huge emotional lift to all those Conscientious Objecters currently in military prisons.

 

“If we are not actively engaged in war resistance then we should be offering our support to those that are". said Griffin. "If it is true that Bradley Manning leaked The Afghan War Logs, The Iraq War Logs and the Collateral Murder video then the last place he should be is in prison. As far as I am concerned he is a Hero. Our countries have committed terrible crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan and it is only right that we should all know exactly what has been happening.”

 

Michael Lyons - also from Veterans for Peace UK - spoke about how reading the Afghan War Logs had confirmed his doubts about the legality of the actions carried out by coalition forces in Afghanistan. In 2010 Lyons - a former Navy medic - applied for Conscientious Objector status after reading the “Afghan War Logs” released by Wikileaks and refused to carry out rifle training in preparation for deployment to Afghanistan. He was sentenced to 7 months in Colchester military prison and was released in November 2011.

 

All photos © 2012 Pete Riches

Do not reproduce, alter or reblog my images without my written permission.

Hi-Res versions of these files are available for license on application. NUJ rates apply.

about.me/peteriches

Wikileaks a trouvé un endroit sympa pour dormir.

  

kabo-wiki-hive - wikileaks-wiki - web-site list [en]+[xx]-

 

web-site list

 

Web-sites about WikiLeaks, whistleblowing or Anonymous are included into their home pages in the wikileaks-wiki. The feeds for the web-sites are listed on the page web-site feeds. ← = is included into the wikileaks-wiki from the web-site xxx

 

center-wiki:

 

WikiLeaksWiki, a center-wiki for web-sites about WikiLeaks, whistleblowing, Anonymous [en]+[xx]-

← kabo-list-wiki - wikileaks-wiki

 

official web-sites by wikileaks:

 

facebook page WikiLeaks Cablegate

← facebook - page WikiLeaks Cablegate [en]

 

facebook page wikileaks

← facebook - page wikileaks [en]

 

facebook page WikiLeaks The Global Intelligence Files

← facebook - page WikiLeaks The Global Intelligence Files [en]

 

twitter wikileaks

← twitter - wikileaks [en]

 

WikiLeaksOrg, the main web-site wikileaks.org [en]

 

other web-sites about WikiLeaks or whistleblowing:

 

Adelaide FoWL, Friends of WikiLeaks in Adelaide, Australia

← facebook - group Adelaide Friends of WikiLeaks [en]

← twitter - adfowl [en]

 

Australian FoWL, Friends of WikiLeaks in Australia

← twitter - AusFOWL [en]

 

AmpedStatus network, fights for pivotal political reforms

← ampedstatus.org - network

 

ArgosIs WikiLeaks, a section of a network for Cuba and South America

← facebook - group ArgosIs-WikiLeaks [es]+[en]-

 

BBC search wikileaks, the BBC about WikiLeaks

← bbc.co.uk - search wikileaks [en]

 

cablesearch, search cables in full text

← cablesearch.org [en]

 

CableWiki, documents, analyzes, summarizes and translates cables

← cablewiki.net [en]+[xx]-

 

CrowdLeaks, crowdsourced journalism

← crowdleaks.org [en]

← facebook - page crowdleaks [en]

← twitter - crowdleaks [en]+[de]-

 

CryptomeOrg, a public library of fifty-eight thousand files published

← cryptome.org [en]

 

CyberLaw blog category wikileaks, a news resource for CyberLaw issues

← CyberLaw blog - category wikileaks [en]

 

Der Spiegel Thema WikiLeaks, the German weekly Der Spiegel on wikileaks

← Der Spiegel - Thema WikiLeaks [de]

 

facebook group Brisbane Wikileaks Defence, Brisbane, Australia defends wikileaks

← facebook - group Brisbane Wikileaks Defence [en]

 

facebook group Dagestan WikiLeaks, tell us what you know but are afraid to voice

← facebook - group Dagestan WikiLeaks [ru]

 

facebook group I Support Wikileaks, the intelligence agency of the people

← facebook - group I Support Wikileaks [en]

 

facebook group svetu treba vikiliks, Serbia leaks

← facebook - group svetu treba vikiliks [sr]

 

facebook group Wikileaks Fan Club (Bangladesh), Bangladesh wikileaks fans

← facebook - group Wikileaks Fan Club (Bangladesh) [en]+[xx]-

 

facebook group WikiLeaks Fans, keep us at the forefront of anti-censorship

← facebook - group WikiLeaks Fans [en]+[xx]-

 

facebook group wikileaks in Arabian, ويكيليكس

← facebook - group wikileaks in Arabian [ar]

 

facebook group wikileaks indígena, the Colombian natives’ wikileaks

← facebook - group wikileaks indígena [es]

 

facebook group Wikileaks La verità ci rende liberi, tieni duro Assange, the truth makes us free

← facebook - group Wikileaks La verità ci rende liberi, tieni duro Assange [it]

 

facebook group Wikileaks Support, we support wikileaks and Julian Assange!

← facebook - group Wikileaks Support [en]

 

facebook group wikileaks tagramet, exposes irregularities and manipulations in Tetouan, Morocco

← facebook - group wikileaks tagramet [ar]

 

facebook group Wikileaks Tetouan, exposes all forms of violations at all levels in Tetouan, Morocco

← facebook - group Wikileaks Tetouan [ar]+[fr]-

 

facebook page Aussies for Assange, the truth is “hate speech” only to those who have something to hide

← facebook - page Aussies for Assange [en]

 

facebook page Generation Wikileak, we are Julian’s die heart soldiers

← facebook - page Generation Wikileak [en]

 

facebook page The WikiLeaks Trap, news and analysis from around the web

← facebook - page The WikiLeaks Trap [en]

 

facebook page Wikileaks Free Julian Assange, help us to free Julian Assange

← facebook - page Wikileaks Free Julian Assange [en]+[xx]-

 

facebook page WikiLeaks Yemen, specialized in corruption cases

← facebook - page WikiLeaks Yemen [ar]

 

federal accountability initiative for reform, protects whistleblowers who protect the public interest, Canada

← fairwhistleblower.ca [en]

← facebook - group FairWhistleblower.ca [en]

← facebook - page FairWhistleblower.ca [en]

 

Finland FoWL, Finnish Friends of WikiLeaks

← facebook - page FinFoWL [fi]+[en]-

← twitter - finfowl [fi]+[en]-

 

FoWL, Friends of WikiLeaks

← facebook - page FoWL [en]

 

FoWL Austria, Gruppe Österreich

← facebook - page FoWL Austria [de]+[en]-

 

Frankfurt (Main) FoWL, Friends of WikiLeaks in Frankfurt (Main), Germany

← facebook - page FFMFoWL [de]+[en]-

 

free WikiLeaks, a support group for a free WikiLeaks

← freewikileaks.eu [de]

← facebook - page FreeWikileaks [en]+[xx]-

 

freedominfo search WikiLeaks, networks freedom of information advocates globally

← freedominfo.org - search WikiLeaks [en]

 

google news wikileaks, news on google

← google - news wikileaks [en]+[xx]-

 

government accountability project, protects corporate, government and international whistleblowers

← whistleblower.org [en]

 

gulli tag WikiLeaks, about wikileaks on gulli.com

← gulli.com - tag WikiLeaks [de]

 

LeaksFree, we are anonymous, … expect us

← leaksfree.com [es]+[xx]-

← facebook - page leaksfree [en]+[es]-

 

LeakSource, leaks around the world

← leaksource.wordpress.com [en]

 

meta-leaks-wiki, posts, tags and discusses orphan leaks

← wikia-hive - meta-leaks-wiki [en]

 

national whistleblowers center, stands for honesty without fear

← whistleblowers.org [en]

 

netzpolitik search wikileaks, about WikiLeaks on netzpolitik.org

← netzpolitik.org - search wikileaks [de]

 

open democracy advice center, promotes open and transparent democracy in South Africa

← opendemocracy.org.za [en]

 

political fail blog, keeps informed on stories that matter

← politicalfailblog.com [en]

 

project on government oversight, exposes corruption and other misconduct

← pogo.org [en]

 

public concern at work, an independent authority on public interest whistleblowing

← pcaw.co.uk [en]

 

save WikiLeaks, Свободу Сети! Freedom network!

← savewikileaks.net [ru]

 

StateLogs, browse, comment, read the diplomacy cablegate

← statelogs.owni.fr [en]

 

The Nation blogs media-fix, news about wikileaks every day

← thenation.com - blogs media-fix [en]

 

The Telegraph news wikileaks, the latest news and video on WikiLeaks

← telegraph.co.uk - news wikileaks [en]

 

transleaks Japanese, translates WikiLeaks to Japanese

← transleaks - Japanese [jp]

 

we will not be censored, supports the work of WikiLeaks and free speech

← wewillnotbecensored.com [en]

 

whistleblower-net, an association about whistleblowing in Germany

← whistleblower-net.de [de]

 

whistleblowers protection blog, advocates whistleblower rights

← whistleblowersblog.org [en]

 

whistleblowing Italia, whistleblowing in Italy

← whistleblowing.it [it]

 

Wikileaks Australian Citizens Alliance, the goal is justice, the method is transparency

← waca.net.au [en]

← facebook - page Wikileaks Australian Citizens Alliance [en]

 

WikiLeaks Deutschland, Germany’s WikiLeaks

← facebook - page WikiLeaks Deutschland [de]

 

wikileaks-forum, it’s time to open the archives

← wikileaks-forum.com [en]

← facebook - page wikileaks-forum.com [en]+[xx]-

 

WikiLeaks Italian, news about WikiLeaks in Italian

← facebook - page WikiLeaks Italian [it]

 

WikiLeaks Serbia, support from Serbia

← facebook - page WikiLeaks Serbia [sr]

 

WikiLeaks Türkiye, Turkey’s WikiLeaks

← facebook - page WikiLeaks Türkiye [tr]

 

WikiLeaks Vienna, the bohemian rhapsody

← wikileakswien.wordpress.com [de]

 

wlcentral, provides WikiLeaks news, analysis and action

← wlcentral.org [en]

 

Die Zeit leaks blog, the German weekly Die Zeit on WikiLeaks, OpenLeaks and the consequences

← zeit.de - leaks blog [de]

 

yahoo news wikileaks, news on yahoo

← yahoo - news wikileaks [en]+[xx]-

 

other whistleblowing web-sites:

 

Al Jazeera transparency unit, whistleblowing on Al Jazeera

← transparency.aljazeera.net [en]

 

AnonNews, open posting, everything anonymous

← anonnews.org [en]

 

BalkanLeaks, the Balkans are not keeping secrets anymore

← balkanleaks.eu

← facebook - page Balkanleaks

← twitter - balkanleaks

 

BayernLeaks, Bavaria leaks

← bayernleaks.de [de]

 

deaddrops, an anonymous, offline, peer to peer file-sharing network in public space

← deaddrops.com [en]

 

EnviroLeaks, undermining just got easier …

← enviroleaks.org [en]

 

FaceLeaks, leak you friends, anonymously

← faceleaks.info [en]

 

FrenchLeaks, France leaks

← frenchleaks.fr [fr]

 

GlobaLeaks, creates a worldwide leak amplification network

← globaleaks.org [en]

 

IndoLeaks, Indonesia leaks

← indoleaks.org [ind]

 

IrishLeaks, sheds light on abuses of power within the Republic of Ireland

← irishleaks.ie [en]

 

IsraeliLeaks, comes soon to an occupied territory near you

← israelileaks.org [en]

 

KanariLeaks, leaks focused on the canary islands

← kanarileaks.org [es]

 

LocaLeaks, submit news tips to news organizations

← localeaks.com [en]

 

OpenLeaks, makes whistleblowing safer and more widespread

← openleaks.org [en]

 

PinoyLeaks, in the governments of the Philippines, beware of the eagle

← pinoyleaks.org [en]

 

PirateLeaks, Czech leaks

← pirateleaks.cz [cz]

 

Quebec leaks, Quebec in Canada leaks,

← facebook - page QuebecLeaks [fr]

 

RadioLeaks, whistleblowing by the Swedish radio

← sverigesradio.se - RadioLeaks [sv]

 

RoSpil, fights theft in Russia

← rospil.info [ru]

 

RuLeaks, Russia leaks

← ruleaks.net [ru]

 

secrecy news, news on government secrecy

← fas.org - secrecy news [en]

 

Serbian WikiLeaks, new Belgrade affairs

← novibeogradafera.blogspot.com [sr]

 

TradeLeaks, openness and transparency in trade and commerce

← tradeleaks.com [en]

 

TuniLeaks, Tunisia leaks

← tunileaks.appspot.com [en]

 

UniLeaks, keeps education honest

← unileaks.org [en]

 

VatiLeaks, the Vatican leaks

← vatileaks.com [en]

 

WikiSpooks, a wiki to build a comprehensive reference source of deep political structures and events

← wikispooks.com [en]

 

The page facebook about wikileaks merges the facebook groups wikileaks and the facebook pages wikileaks listed above.

 

about the latest modification

 

Mattis Manzel:

Moved the page ListOfCompaniesBoycottingWikiLeaks to the page home pages taken off the web-site list. Added the page Australian FoWL. Added the facebook - page Balkanleaks and twitter - balkanleaks to BalkanLeaks.

 

from soup bit.ly/Qyyl7z

- Photos by Damien Conway.

 

Shining Light on Secret TPP agreement & calling on Congress to

STOP Fast Track

For Immediate Release: Day before Wikileak of TPP Document - 13 Cities

Mobilized to Shine a Light on Secret Trans-Pacific Partnership "Trade"

Deal Telling Congress "Don't Fast Track a Train Wreck - FLUSH the

TPP!"

CONTACT: Bill Moyer 206-356-9980 | bill@backbonecampaign.org

| or Eric Ross 805-776-3882 | eric@backbonecampaign.org

| 805-776-3882 | VoteNoFastTrack.org

SEATTLE - On Tuesday evening citizens in Seattle and 12

other cities appeared on overpasses and roadsides to pull the

Trans-Pacific Partnership, aka TPP, out of the shadows and into the

light of public scrutiny. From Dallas to DC, San Diego to Seattle,

Tucson to Detroit, Baltimore to Bellingham, Spokane to Chicago

people took their messages to interstate overpasses, prominent

monuments, and busy city streets using coordinated daytime and

nighttime, high visibility tactics.

 

They deployed giant banners saying No New NAFTA, mobilized LED light

panels saying "(thumbs up) Democracy, STOP The TPP," and projected with

spotlights messages like "Don't Fast Track A Train Wreck." These

coordinated citizen's actions coincided with ongoing TPP negotiations

taking place in Salt Lake City, Utah from November 12-24

and today's anticipated release by Congressperson Rosa DeLauro and

George Miller detailing the growing opposition to "Fast Track" among

Congress, and preceded today's surprise release by Wikileaks of a leaked

chapter of the secretive "TPP" agreement. [Here

is Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch initial interpretations of the

chapter on intellectual property.]

 

The TPP has been called NAFTA on steroids, a "Corporate Coup," and

concerned citizens from across the nation are calling on Congress to

"Flush It!" and to oppose President Obama's request to renew "Fast

Track" authority to commit our country to this secretive agreement that

has less to do with trade, than it does with dismantling any domestic

policies that undermine future profits for transnational capital and

corporations.

 

Bill Moyer, Executive Director of the Backbone Campaign stated "Only a

bought a sold government would sign a treaty that sacrifices our

capacity as communities and country to pass laws for workers benefit,

and the protection of our communities and our natural resources."

 

The Trans-Pacific Partnership has been negotiated under secrecy for 3

years. Obama is now pushing to have it swiftly approved to much to the

dismay of members of Congress, most of whom haven't even been allowed to

see the text. While Congress is constitutionally required to negotiate

any international treaties, Fast Track or granting Obama Trade Promotion

Authority would forfeit the Congress' responsibility and the public's

right to weigh in on the TPP negotiations.

 

Perhaps in response to growing citizen outrage letters were release

today from both Democrats and Republicans challenging President Obama's

request for renewal of Fast Track authority. [From Today's Public

Citizen announcement: The

 

151-signature DeLauro-Miller letter, additional

 

letter from Democratic Ways & Means members, One

 

of two letters, this led by Representative Walter Jones (R-NC)]

 

One of the illuminated messages on Tuesday read "Corporate Tribunals

WTF?" This referred to how the TPP would give more power to corporate

interests including the ability for foreign companies to sue for

taxpayer compensation if any domestic law diminished the company's expected future profits.

 

Masked as a trade deal, the agreement has been negotiated under

supervision of 600 unelected corporate "trade advisors" while the text

has been hidden from members of Congress, the press, and the public.

What has been learned about the TPP has come through leaked texts, and

is alarming to members of Congress worried about sovereign powers being

negotiated away, public health officials, labor representatives,

environmental groups, and advocates of consumer issues.

 

"The TPP, the largest ever of it's kind, is a race to the bottom

international agreement on domestic and international policies of food

safety, internet freedom, medicine costs, financial regulation, and the

environment," says Kristen Beifus, executive director of Washington Fair

Trade Coalition."

 

Trade Justice organizations have declared December 3rd a "Global Day of

Action Against the TPP to resist toxic trade agreements." Citizens are

urged to take action in their own community, contact their

congressperson, and learn more about the TPP's dismantling of democracy

by visiting VoteNoFastTrack.org.

Citizens can find out where their congressperson stands and tweet them

at pdamerica.org/tpp.

 

Tuesday's coordinated actions were organized by the Backbone Campaign,

which specializes in "amplifying citizen engagement with creative

tactics and artful activism" in collaboration with Public Citizen's

Global Trade Watch, PopularResistance.org, Fair Trade Coalitions in

Washington and Oregon, and more.

 

The coordinated day of action follows on the heals of an action in

September when to the surprise of secret service, members and allies of

PopularResistance.org and the Backbone Campaign "redecorated"

the United States Trade Representatives office by scaling the building

and unfurling giant banners demanding a release of the TPP text. The

Backbone Campaign is grateful to Wikileaks for beginning that process.

 

View the growing collection of photos from the 11-12-13 actions HERE.

To speak with organizers of yesterday's day of action please contact

Bill Moyer at 206-356-9980 or Eric Ross at 805-776-3882.

  

Info and Collaborator Web Sites:

Thanks to our many awesome collaborators both mentioned and not!

 

Backbone Campaign

www.flushthetpp.org/

Popular Resistance

Public Citizen's Global Trade

Watch

Washington Fair Trade

Coalition

Oregon Fair Trade

Coalition

Luminous Intervention

Expose The TPP

Overpass Light Brigade PDX

Occupy Bellingham

Occupy Rogers Park

Chicago Overpass Light

Brigade

North Texas Light Brigade

San

Diego Overpass Light Brigade

Occupy Tucson

Occupy Spokane

South Sound

Rising Tide

TPPXBorder

TPP

Talking Points

 

###

  

Backbone Campaign's mission is to provide creative strategies, artful

activism trainings, and creative action support to progressive

activists, organizers and organizations around the US and beyond in

order to invigorate and nurture a people-power, community-based, and

internationally-networked nonviolent social movement for human rights,

thriving communities, and ecological well being. Backbone Campaign's

vision is a world where human dignity, community resilience, and

ecological well being is built upon a foundation of democratic

economic and political systems and diverse, thriving culture where

human rights, the rights of communities and nature are truly

inalienable and honored.

- Photos by Ryan Harris

 

For Immediate Release: Day before Wikileak of TPP Document - 13

Cities Mobilized to Shine a Light on Secret Trans-Pacific Partnership

"Trade" Deal Telling Congress "Don't Fast Track a Train Wreck - FLUSH

the TPP!"

CONTACT: Bill Moyer 206-356-9980 | bill@backbonecampaign.org

| or Eric Ross 805-776-3882 | eric@backbonecampaign.org

| 805-776-3882 | VoteNoFastTrack.org

SEATTLE - On Tuesday evening citizens in Seattle and 12

other cities appeared on overpasses and roadsides to pull the

Trans-Pacific Partnership, aka TPP, out of the shadows and into the

light of public scrutiny. From Dallas to DC, San Diego to Seattle,

Tucson to Detroit, Baltimore to Bellingham, Spokane to Chicago

people took their messages to interstate overpasses, prominent

monuments, and busy city streets using coordinated daytime and

nighttime, high visibility tactics.

 

They deployed giant banners saying No New NAFTA, mobilized LED light

panels saying "(thumbs up) Democracy, STOP The TPP," and projected with

spotlights messages like "Don't Fast Track A Train Wreck." These

coordinated citizen's actions coincided with ongoing TPP negotiations

taking place in Salt Lake City, Utah from November 12-24

and today's anticipated release by Congressperson Rosa DeLauro and

George Miller detailing the growing opposition to "Fast Track" among

Congress, and preceded today's surprise release by Wikileaks of a leaked

chapter of the secretive "TPP" agreement. [Here

is Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch initial interpretations of the

chapter on intellectual property.]

 

The TPP has been called NAFTA on steroids, a "Corporate Coup," and

concerned citizens from across the nation are calling on Congress to

"Flush It!" and to oppose President Obama's request to renew "Fast

Track" authority to commit our country to this secretive agreement that

has less to do with trade, than it does with dismantling any domestic

policies that undermine future profits for transnational capital and

corporations.

 

Bill Moyer, Executive Director of the Backbone Campaign stated "Only a

bought a sold government would sign a treaty that sacrifices our

capacity as communities and country to pass laws for workers benefit,

and the protection of our communities and our natural resources."

 

The Trans-Pacific Partnership has been negotiated under secrecy for 3

years. Obama is now pushing to have it swiftly approved to much to the

dismay of members of Congress, most of whom haven't even been allowed to

see the text. While Congress is constitutionally required to negotiate

any international treaties, Fast Track or granting Obama Trade Promotion

Authority would forfeit the Congress' responsibility and the public's

right to weigh in on the TPP negotiations.

 

Perhaps in response to growing citizen outrage letters were release

today from both Democrats and Republicans challenging President Obama's

request for renewal of Fast Track authority. [From Today's Public

Citizen announcement: The

 

151-signature DeLauro-Miller letter, additional

 

letter from Democratic Ways & Means members, One

 

of two letters, this led by Representative Walter Jones (R-NC)]

 

One of the illuminated messages on Tuesday read "Corporate Tribunals

WTF?" This referred to how the TPP would give more power to corporate

interests including the ability for foreign companies to sue for

taxpayer compensation if any domestic law diminished the company's expected future profits.

 

Masked as a trade deal, the agreement has been negotiated under

supervision of 600 unelected corporate "trade advisors" while the text

has been hidden from members of Congress, the press, and the public.

What has been learned about the TPP has come through leaked texts, and

is alarming to members of Congress worried about sovereign powers being

negotiated away, public health officials, labor representatives,

environmental groups, and advocates of consumer issues.

 

"The TPP, the largest ever of it's kind, is a race to the bottom

international agreement on domestic and international policies of food

safety, internet freedom, medicine costs, financial regulation, and the

environment," says Kristen Beifus, executive director of Washington Fair

Trade Coalition."

 

Trade Justice organizations have declared December 3rd a "Global Day of

Action Against the TPP to resist toxic trade agreements." Citizens are

urged to take action in their own community, contact their

congressperson, and learn more about the TPP's dismantling of democracy

by visiting VoteNoFastTrack.org.

Citizens can find out where their congressperson stands and tweet them

at pdamerica.org/tpp.

 

Tuesday's coordinated actions were organized by the Backbone Campaign,

which specializes in "amplifying citizen engagement with creative

tactics and artful activism" in collaboration with Public Citizen's

Global Trade Watch, PopularResistance.org, Fair Trade Coalitions in

Washington and Oregon, the Overpass Light

Brigade network, and more.

 

The coordinated day of action follows on the heals of an action in

September when to the surprise of secret service, members and allies of

PopularResistance.org and the Backbone Campaign "redecorated"

the United States Trade Representatives office by scaling the building

and unfurling giant banners demanding a release of the TPP text. The

Backbone Campaign is grateful to Wikileaks for beginning that process.

 

View the growing collection of photos from the 11-12-13 actions HERE.

To speak with organizers of yesterday's day of action please contact

Bill Moyer at 206-356-9980 or Eric Ross at 805-776-3882.

  

Info and Collaborator Web Sites:

Thanks to our many awesome collaborators both mentioned and not!

 

Backbone Campaign

www.flushthetpp.org/

Popular Resistance

Public Citizen's Global Trade

Watch

Washington Fair Trade

Coalition

Oregon Fair Trade

Coalition

Luminous Intervention

Overpass Light

Brigade

Expose The TPP

Overpass Light Brigade PDX

Occupy Bellingham

Occupy Rogers Park

Chicago Overpass Light

Brigade

North Texas Light Brigade

San

Diego Overpass Light Brigade

Occupy Tucson

Occupy Spokane

South Sound

Rising Tide

#TPPMediaMarch

TPPXBorder

TPP

Talking Points

 

###

  

Backbone Campaign's mission is to provide creative strategies, artful

activism trainings, and creative action support to progressive

activists, organizers and organizations around the US and beyond in

order to invigorate and nurture a people-power, community-based, and

internationally-networked nonviolent social movement for human rights,

thriving communities, and ecological well being. Backbone Campaign's

vision is a world where human dignity, community resilience, and

ecological well being is built upon a foundation of democratic

economic and political systems and diverse, thriving culture where

human rights, the rights of communities and nature are truly

inalienable and honored.

Bradley Manning vigil at US Embassy - London 17.12.2011

 

As part of a 14-country coordinated rally in support of Bradley Manning - the young U.S. Army intelligence analyst who is accused of leaking the “Afghan War Logs” to Wikileaks - a group of supporters of Manning representing Friends of Bradley Manning UK, Veterans for Peace UK, Payday Men's Network, Queer Friends of Bradley Manning and OccupyLSX gathered outside the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square in London's Mayfair for a vigil during which many speakers voiced their extreme concern for the well-being of Manning, and to praise his brave actions.

 

Manning has been held in U.S. military custody for 18 months. He faces multiple charges which would lead to a lifetime of imprisonment if convicted for allegedly sharing a video of a U.S. helicopter attack that killed 11 civilians and seriously wounded two children in Baghdad, Iraq with the WikiLeaks website. The footage had been withheld by the U.S.military from those trying to discover the truth about the attacks. Manning is also accused of leaking what is now referred to as 'The Afghan Logs' - more than 91,000 documents of classified U.S. military logs spanning six years of U.S. occupation of Afghanistan. His pre-trial hearing began before a military tribunal on Friday 16th December at Fort Meade, Maryland, USA, cynically arranged to coincide with Bradley Manning's 24th birthday.

 

Dreadlocked supporter of Bradley Manning, Australian-born Catholic Worker, Christian anarchist and non-violent resister Ciaron O'Reilly told the crowd the latest news from Manning's hearing in Fort Mead, and went on to describe the torture and abuse Manning has endured at the hands of his completely unnaccountable gaolers, first in Quantico and now in Fort Meade. During the 1991 Gulf War, O'Reilly was a member of the 'ANZUS Ploughshares' group which attacked a B-52 Bomber which was on 20-minute scramble alert, at Griffiss AFB near Utica, New York. Their actions put the aircraft out of action for the next two months at the height of the US bombing campaign in Iraq. Together with the other members of the group, he was arrested and sentenced to 13 months in the US penal system. After his return to Australia, O'Reilly took part in the 'Jabiluka Ploughshares' group action which disabled uranium mining equipment in the Northern Territory of Australia in 1998.

 

Veterans for Peace UK's Ben Griffin, a former British SAS soldier who had been discharged from the army after he refused to be redeployed to Iraq - citing not only the "illegal" tactics of United States troops and the policies of coalition forces but also that the invasion itself was illegal, being contrary to international law - spoke to those assembled to emphasise the importance of war resisters. He told the protesters that hearing that even small numbers of people in the outside World were supporting them by protesting gave a huge emotional lift to all those Conscientious Objecters currently in military prisons.

 

“If we are not actively engaged in war resistance then we should be offering our support to those that are". said Griffin. "If it is true that Bradley Manning leaked The Afghan War Logs, The Iraq War Logs and the Collateral Murder video then the last place he should be is in prison. As far as I am concerned he is a Hero. Our countries have committed terrible crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan and it is only right that we should all know exactly what has been happening.”

 

Michael Lyons - also from Veterans for Peace UK - spoke about how reading the Afghan War Logs had confirmed his doubts about the legality of the actions carried out by coalition forces in Afghanistan. In 2010 Lyons - a former Navy medic - applied for Conscientious Objector status after reading the “Afghan War Logs” released by Wikileaks and refused to carry out rifle training in preparation for deployment to Afghanistan. He was sentenced to 7 months in Colchester military prison and was released in November 2011.

 

All photos © 2012 Pete Riches

Do not reproduce, alter or reblog my images without my written permission.

Hi-Res versions of these files are available for license on application. NUJ rates apply.

about.me/peteriches

Bradley Manning vigil at US Embassy - London 17.12.2011

 

As part of a 14-country coordinated rally in support of Bradley Manning - the young U.S. Army intelligence analyst who is accused of leaking the “Afghan War Logs” to Wikileaks - a group of supporters of Manning representing Friends of Bradley Manning UK, Veterans for Peace UK, Payday Men's Network, Queer Friends of Bradley Manning and OccupyLSX gathered outside the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square in London's Mayfair for a vigil during which many speakers voiced their extreme concern for the well-being of Manning, and to praise his brave actions.

 

Manning has been held in U.S. military custody for 18 months. He faces multiple charges which would lead to a lifetime of imprisonment if convicted for allegedly sharing a video of a U.S. helicopter attack that killed 11 civilians and seriously wounded two children in Baghdad, Iraq with the WikiLeaks website. The footage had been withheld by the U.S.military from those trying to discover the truth about the attacks. Manning is also accused of leaking what is now referred to as 'The Afghan Logs' - more than 91,000 documents of classified U.S. military logs spanning six years of U.S. occupation of Afghanistan. His pre-trial hearing began before a military tribunal on Friday 16th December at Fort Meade, Maryland, USA, cynically arranged to coincide with Bradley Manning's 24th birthday.

 

Dreadlocked supporter of Bradley Manning, Australian-born Catholic Worker, Christian anarchist and non-violent resister Ciaron O'Reilly told the crowd the latest news from Manning's hearing in Fort Mead, and went on to describe the torture and abuse Manning has endured at the hands of his completely unnaccountable gaolers, first in Quantico and now in Fort Meade. During the 1991 Gulf War, O'Reilly was a member of the 'ANZUS Ploughshares' group which attacked a B-52 Bomber which was on 20-minute scramble alert, at Griffiss AFB near Utica, New York. Their actions put the aircraft out of action for the next two months at the height of the US bombing campaign in Iraq. Together with the other members of the group, he was arrested and sentenced to 13 months in the US penal system. After his return to Australia, O'Reilly took part in the 'Jabiluka Ploughshares' group action which disabled uranium mining equipment in the Northern Territory of Australia in 1998.

 

Veterans for Peace UK's Ben Griffin, a former British SAS soldier who had been discharged from the army after he refused to be redeployed to Iraq - citing not only the "illegal" tactics of United States troops and the policies of coalition forces but also that the invasion itself was illegal, being contrary to international law - spoke to those assembled to emphasise the importance of war resisters. He told the protesters that hearing that even small numbers of people in the outside World were supporting them by protesting gave a huge emotional lift to all those Conscientious Objecters currently in military prisons.

 

“If we are not actively engaged in war resistance then we should be offering our support to those that are". said Griffin. "If it is true that Bradley Manning leaked The Afghan War Logs, The Iraq War Logs and the Collateral Murder video then the last place he should be is in prison. As far as I am concerned he is a Hero. Our countries have committed terrible crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan and it is only right that we should all know exactly what has been happening.”

 

Michael Lyons - also from Veterans for Peace UK - spoke about how reading the Afghan War Logs had confirmed his doubts about the legality of the actions carried out by coalition forces in Afghanistan. In 2010 Lyons - a former Navy medic - applied for Conscientious Objector status after reading the “Afghan War Logs” released by Wikileaks and refused to carry out rifle training in preparation for deployment to Afghanistan. He was sentenced to 7 months in Colchester military prison and was released in November 2011.

 

All photos © 2012 Pete Riches

Do not reproduce, alter or reblog my images without my written permission.

Hi-Res versions of these files are available for license on application. NUJ rates apply.

about.me/peteriches

Bradley Manning vigil at US Embassy - London 17.12.2011

 

As part of a 14-country coordinated rally in support of Bradley Manning - the young U.S. Army intelligence analyst who is accused of leaking the “Afghan War Logs” to Wikileaks - a group of supporters of Manning representing Friends of Bradley Manning UK, Veterans for Peace UK, Payday Men's Network, Queer Friends of Bradley Manning and OccupyLSX gathered outside the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square in London's Mayfair for a vigil during which many speakers voiced their extreme concern for the well-being of Manning, and to praise his brave actions.

 

Manning has been held in U.S. military custody for 18 months. He faces multiple charges which would lead to a lifetime of imprisonment if convicted for allegedly sharing a video of a U.S. helicopter attack that killed 11 civilians and seriously wounded two children in Baghdad, Iraq with the WikiLeaks website. The footage had been withheld by the U.S.military from those trying to discover the truth about the attacks. Manning is also accused of leaking what is now referred to as 'The Afghan Logs' - more than 91,000 documents of classified U.S. military logs spanning six years of U.S. occupation of Afghanistan. His pre-trial hearing began before a military tribunal on Friday 16th December at Fort Meade, Maryland, USA, cynically arranged to coincide with Bradley Manning's 24th birthday.

 

Dreadlocked supporter of Bradley Manning, Australian-born Catholic Worker, Christian anarchist and non-violent resister Ciaron O'Reilly told the crowd the latest news from Manning's hearing in Fort Mead, and went on to describe the torture and abuse Manning has endured at the hands of his completely unnaccountable gaolers, first in Quantico and now in Fort Meade. During the 1991 Gulf War, O'Reilly was a member of the 'ANZUS Ploughshares' group which attacked a B-52 Bomber which was on 20-minute scramble alert, at Griffiss AFB near Utica, New York. Their actions put the aircraft out of action for the next two months at the height of the US bombing campaign in Iraq. Together with the other members of the group, he was arrested and sentenced to 13 months in the US penal system. After his return to Australia, O'Reilly took part in the 'Jabiluka Ploughshares' group action which disabled uranium mining equipment in the Northern Territory of Australia in 1998.

 

Veterans for Peace UK's Ben Griffin, a former British SAS soldier who had been discharged from the army after he refused to be redeployed to Iraq - citing not only the "illegal" tactics of United States troops and the policies of coalition forces but also that the invasion itself was illegal, being contrary to international law - spoke to those assembled to emphasise the importance of war resisters. He told the protesters that hearing that even small numbers of people in the outside World were supporting them by protesting gave a huge emotional lift to all those Conscientious Objecters currently in military prisons.

 

“If we are not actively engaged in war resistance then we should be offering our support to those that are". said Griffin. "If it is true that Bradley Manning leaked The Afghan War Logs, The Iraq War Logs and the Collateral Murder video then the last place he should be is in prison. As far as I am concerned he is a Hero. Our countries have committed terrible crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan and it is only right that we should all know exactly what has been happening.”

 

Michael Lyons - also from Veterans for Peace UK - spoke about how reading the Afghan War Logs had confirmed his doubts about the legality of the actions carried out by coalition forces in Afghanistan. In 2010 Lyons - a former Navy medic - applied for Conscientious Objector status after reading the “Afghan War Logs” released by Wikileaks and refused to carry out rifle training in preparation for deployment to Afghanistan. He was sentenced to 7 months in Colchester military prison and was released in November 2011.

 

All photos © 2012 Pete Riches

Do not reproduce, alter or reblog my images without my written permission.

Hi-Res versions of these files are available for license on application. NUJ rates apply.

about.me/peteriches

Shining Light on Secret TPP agreement & calling on Congress to

STOP Fast Track

For Immediate Release: Day before Wikileak of TPP Document - 13 Cities

Mobilized to Shine a Light on Secret Trans-Pacific Partnership "Trade"

Deal Telling Congress "Don't Fast Track a Train Wreck - FLUSH the

TPP!"

CONTACT: Bill Moyer 206-356-9980 | bill@backbonecampaign.org

| or Eric Ross 805-776-3882 | eric@backbonecampaign.org

| 805-776-3882 | VoteNoFastTrack.org

SEATTLE - On Tuesday evening citizens in Seattle and 12

other cities appeared on overpasses and roadsides to pull the

Trans-Pacific Partnership, aka TPP, out of the shadows and into the

light of public scrutiny. From Dallas to DC, San Diego to Seattle,

Tucson to Detroit, Baltimore to Bellingham, Spokane to Chicago

people took their messages to interstate overpasses, prominent

monuments, and busy city streets using coordinated daytime and

nighttime, high visibility tactics.

 

They deployed giant banners saying No New NAFTA, mobilized LED light

panels saying "(thumbs up) Democracy, STOP The TPP," and projected with

spotlights messages like "Don't Fast Track A Train Wreck." These

coordinated citizen's actions coincided with ongoing TPP negotiations

taking place in Salt Lake City, Utah from November 12-24

and today's anticipated release by Congressperson Rosa DeLauro and

George Miller detailing the growing opposition to "Fast Track" among

Congress, and preceded today's surprise release by Wikileaks of a leaked

chapter of the secretive "TPP" agreement. [Here

is Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch initial interpretations of the

chapter on intellectual property.]

 

The TPP has been called NAFTA on steroids, a "Corporate Coup," and

concerned citizens from across the nation are calling on Congress to

"Flush It!" and to oppose President Obama's request to renew "Fast

Track" authority to commit our country to this secretive agreement that

has less to do with trade, than it does with dismantling any domestic

policies that undermine future profits for transnational capital and

corporations.

 

Bill Moyer, Executive Director of the Backbone Campaign stated "Only a

bought a sold government would sign a treaty that sacrifices our

capacity as communities and country to pass laws for workers benefit,

and the protection of our communities and our natural resources."

 

The Trans-Pacific Partnership has been negotiated under secrecy for 3

years. Obama is now pushing to have it swiftly approved to much to the

dismay of members of Congress, most of whom haven't even been allowed to

see the text. While Congress is constitutionally required to negotiate

any international treaties, Fast Track or granting Obama Trade Promotion

Authority would forfeit the Congress' responsibility and the public's

right to weigh in on the TPP negotiations.

 

Perhaps in response to growing citizen outrage letters were release

today from both Democrats and Republicans challenging President Obama's

request for renewal of Fast Track authority. [From Today's Public

Citizen announcement: The

 

151-signature DeLauro-Miller letter, additional

 

letter from Democratic Ways & Means members, One

 

of two letters, this led by Representative Walter Jones (R-NC)]

 

One of the illuminated messages on Tuesday read "Corporate Tribunals

WTF?" This referred to how the TPP would give more power to corporate

interests including the ability for foreign companies to sue for

taxpayer compensation if any domestic law diminished the company's expected future profits.

 

Masked as a trade deal, the agreement has been negotiated under

supervision of 600 unelected corporate "trade advisors" while the text

has been hidden from members of Congress, the press, and the public.

What has been learned about the TPP has come through leaked texts, and

is alarming to members of Congress worried about sovereign powers being

negotiated away, public health officials, labor representatives,

environmental groups, and advocates of consumer issues.

 

"The TPP, the largest ever of it's kind, is a race to the bottom

international agreement on domestic and international policies of food

safety, internet freedom, medicine costs, financial regulation, and the

environment," says Kristen Beifus, executive director of Washington Fair

Trade Coalition."

 

Trade Justice organizations have declared December 3rd a "Global Day of

Action Against the TPP to resist toxic trade agreements." Citizens are

urged to take action in their own community, contact their

congressperson, and learn more about the TPP's dismantling of democracy

by visiting VoteNoFastTrack.org.

Citizens can find out where their congressperson stands and tweet them

at pdamerica.org/tpp.

 

Tuesday's coordinated actions were organized by the Backbone Campaign,

which specializes in "amplifying citizen engagement with creative

tactics and artful activism" in collaboration with Public Citizen's

Global Trade Watch, PopularResistance.org, Fair Trade Coalitions in

Washington and Oregon, and more.

 

The coordinated day of action follows on the heals of an action in

September when to the surprise of secret service, members and allies of

PopularResistance.org and the Backbone Campaign "redecorated"

the United States Trade Representatives office by scaling the building

and unfurling giant banners demanding a release of the TPP text. The

Backbone Campaign is grateful to Wikileaks for beginning that process.

 

View the growing collection of photos from the 11-12-13 actions HERE.

To speak with organizers of yesterday's day of action please contact

Bill Moyer at 206-356-9980 or Eric Ross at 805-776-3882.

  

Info and Collaborator Web Sites:

Thanks to our many awesome collaborators both mentioned and not!

 

Backbone Campaign

www.flushthetpp.org/

Popular Resistance

Public Citizen's Global Trade

Watch

Washington Fair Trade

Coalition

Oregon Fair Trade

Coalition

Luminous Intervention

Expose The TPP

Overpass Light Brigade PDX

Occupy Bellingham

Occupy Rogers Park

Chicago Overpass Light

Brigade

North Texas Light Brigade

San

Diego Overpass Light Brigade

Occupy Tucson

Occupy Spokane

South Sound

Rising Tide

TPPXBorder

TPP

Talking Points

 

###

  

Backbone Campaign's mission is to provide creative strategies, artful

activism trainings, and creative action support to progressive

activists, organizers and organizations around the US and beyond in

order to invigorate and nurture a people-power, community-based, and

internationally-networked nonviolent social movement for human rights,

thriving communities, and ecological well being. Backbone Campaign's

vision is a world where human dignity, community resilience, and

ecological well being is built upon a foundation of democratic

economic and political systems and diverse, thriving culture where

human rights, the rights of communities and nature are truly

inalienable and honored.

Bradley Manning vigil at US Embassy - London 17.12.2011

 

As part of a 14-country coordinated rally in support of Bradley Manning - the young U.S. Army intelligence analyst who is accused of leaking the “Afghan War Logs” to Wikileaks - a group of supporters of Manning representing Friends of Bradley Manning UK, Veterans for Peace UK, Payday Men's Network, Queer Friends of Bradley Manning and OccupyLSX gathered outside the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square in London's Mayfair for a vigil during which many speakers voiced their extreme concern for the well-being of Manning, and to praise his brave actions.

 

Manning has been held in U.S. military custody for 18 months. He faces multiple charges which would lead to a lifetime of imprisonment if convicted for allegedly sharing a video of a U.S. helicopter attack that killed 11 civilians and seriously wounded two children in Baghdad, Iraq with the WikiLeaks website. The footage had been withheld by the U.S.military from those trying to discover the truth about the attacks. Manning is also accused of leaking what is now referred to as 'The Afghan Logs' - more than 91,000 documents of classified U.S. military logs spanning six years of U.S. occupation of Afghanistan. His pre-trial hearing began before a military tribunal on Friday 16th December at Fort Meade, Maryland, USA, cynically arranged to coincide with Bradley Manning's 24th birthday.

 

Dreadlocked supporter of Bradley Manning, Australian-born Catholic Worker, Christian anarchist and non-violent resister Ciaron O'Reilly told the crowd the latest news from Manning's hearing in Fort Mead, and went on to describe the torture and abuse Manning has endured at the hands of his completely unnaccountable gaolers, first in Quantico and now in Fort Meade. During the 1991 Gulf War, O'Reilly was a member of the 'ANZUS Ploughshares' group which attacked a B-52 Bomber which was on 20-minute scramble alert, at Griffiss AFB near Utica, New York. Their actions put the aircraft out of action for the next two months at the height of the US bombing campaign in Iraq. Together with the other members of the group, he was arrested and sentenced to 13 months in the US penal system. After his return to Australia, O'Reilly took part in the 'Jabiluka Ploughshares' group action which disabled uranium mining equipment in the Northern Territory of Australia in 1998.

 

Veterans for Peace UK's Ben Griffin, a former British SAS soldier who had been discharged from the army after he refused to be redeployed to Iraq - citing not only the "illegal" tactics of United States troops and the policies of coalition forces but also that the invasion itself was illegal, being contrary to international law - spoke to those assembled to emphasise the importance of war resisters. He told the protesters that hearing that even small numbers of people in the outside World were supporting them by protesting gave a huge emotional lift to all those Conscientious Objecters currently in military prisons.

 

“If we are not actively engaged in war resistance then we should be offering our support to those that are". said Griffin. "If it is true that Bradley Manning leaked The Afghan War Logs, The Iraq War Logs and the Collateral Murder video then the last place he should be is in prison. As far as I am concerned he is a Hero. Our countries have committed terrible crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan and it is only right that we should all know exactly what has been happening.”

 

Michael Lyons - also from Veterans for Peace UK - spoke about how reading the Afghan War Logs had confirmed his doubts about the legality of the actions carried out by coalition forces in Afghanistan. In 2010 Lyons - a former Navy medic - applied for Conscientious Objector status after reading the “Afghan War Logs” released by Wikileaks and refused to carry out rifle training in preparation for deployment to Afghanistan. He was sentenced to 7 months in Colchester military prison and was released in November 2011.

 

All photos © 2012 Pete Riches

Do not reproduce, alter or reblog my images without my written permission.

Hi-Res versions of these files are available for license on application. NUJ rates apply.

about.me/peteriches

Quito (Ecuador), 30 de Julio 2012. Esta mañana la señora Christine Assange, madre de Julian Assange, ingresó a la Cancillería para entrevistarse con el Canciller Ricardo Patiño. Foto: Xavier Granja Cedeño - Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Comercio e Integración.

Bradley Manning vigil at US Embassy - London 17.12.2011

 

As part of a 14-country coordinated rally in support of Bradley Manning - the young U.S. Army intelligence analyst who is accused of leaking the “Afghan War Logs” to Wikileaks - a group of supporters of Manning representing Friends of Bradley Manning UK, Veterans for Peace UK, Payday Men's Network, Queer Friends of Bradley Manning and OccupyLSX gathered outside the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square in London's Mayfair for a vigil during which many speakers voiced their extreme concern for the well-being of Manning, and to praise his brave actions.

 

Manning has been held in U.S. military custody for 18 months. He faces multiple charges which would lead to a lifetime of imprisonment if convicted for allegedly sharing a video of a U.S. helicopter attack that killed 11 civilians and seriously wounded two children in Baghdad, Iraq with the WikiLeaks website. The footage had been withheld by the U.S.military from those trying to discover the truth about the attacks. Manning is also accused of leaking what is now referred to as 'The Afghan Logs' - more than 91,000 documents of classified U.S. military logs spanning six years of U.S. occupation of Afghanistan. His pre-trial hearing began before a military tribunal on Friday 16th December at Fort Meade, Maryland, USA, cynically arranged to coincide with Bradley Manning's 24th birthday.

 

Dreadlocked supporter of Bradley Manning, Australian-born Catholic Worker, Christian anarchist and non-violent resister Ciaron O'Reilly told the crowd the latest news from Manning's hearing in Fort Mead, and went on to describe the torture and abuse Manning has endured at the hands of his completely unnaccountable gaolers, first in Quantico and now in Fort Meade. During the 1991 Gulf War, O'Reilly was a member of the 'ANZUS Ploughshares' group which attacked a B-52 Bomber which was on 20-minute scramble alert, at Griffiss AFB near Utica, New York. Their actions put the aircraft out of action for the next two months at the height of the US bombing campaign in Iraq. Together with the other members of the group, he was arrested and sentenced to 13 months in the US penal system. After his return to Australia, O'Reilly took part in the 'Jabiluka Ploughshares' group action which disabled uranium mining equipment in the Northern Territory of Australia in 1998.

 

Veterans for Peace UK's Ben Griffin, a former British SAS soldier who had been discharged from the army after he refused to be redeployed to Iraq - citing not only the "illegal" tactics of United States troops and the policies of coalition forces but also that the invasion itself was illegal, being contrary to international law - spoke to those assembled to emphasise the importance of war resisters. He told the protesters that hearing that even small numbers of people in the outside World were supporting them by protesting gave a huge emotional lift to all those Conscientious Objecters currently in military prisons.

 

“If we are not actively engaged in war resistance then we should be offering our support to those that are". said Griffin. "If it is true that Bradley Manning leaked The Afghan War Logs, The Iraq War Logs and the Collateral Murder video then the last place he should be is in prison. As far as I am concerned he is a Hero. Our countries have committed terrible crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan and it is only right that we should all know exactly what has been happening.”

 

Michael Lyons - also from Veterans for Peace UK - spoke about how reading the Afghan War Logs had confirmed his doubts about the legality of the actions carried out by coalition forces in Afghanistan. In 2010 Lyons - a former Navy medic - applied for Conscientious Objector status after reading the “Afghan War Logs” released by Wikileaks and refused to carry out rifle training in preparation for deployment to Afghanistan. He was sentenced to 7 months in Colchester military prison and was released in November 2011.

 

All photos © 2012 Pete Riches

Do not reproduce, alter or reblog my images without my written permission.

Hi-Res versions of these files are available for license on application. NUJ rates apply.

about.me/peteriches

- Photos by Ryan Harris

 

For Immediate Release: Day before Wikileak of TPP Document - 13

Cities Mobilized to Shine a Light on Secret Trans-Pacific Partnership

"Trade" Deal Telling Congress "Don't Fast Track a Train Wreck - FLUSH

the TPP!"

CONTACT: Bill Moyer 206-356-9980 | bill@backbonecampaign.org

| or Eric Ross 805-776-3882 | eric@backbonecampaign.org

| 805-776-3882 | VoteNoFastTrack.org

SEATTLE - On Tuesday evening citizens in Seattle and 12

other cities appeared on overpasses and roadsides to pull the

Trans-Pacific Partnership, aka TPP, out of the shadows and into the

light of public scrutiny. From Dallas to DC, San Diego to Seattle,

Tucson to Detroit, Baltimore to Bellingham, Spokane to Chicago

people took their messages to interstate overpasses, prominent

monuments, and busy city streets using coordinated daytime and

nighttime, high visibility tactics.

 

They deployed giant banners saying No New NAFTA, mobilized LED light

panels saying "(thumbs up) Democracy, STOP The TPP," and projected with

spotlights messages like "Don't Fast Track A Train Wreck." These

coordinated citizen's actions coincided with ongoing TPP negotiations

taking place in Salt Lake City, Utah from November 12-24

and today's anticipated release by Congressperson Rosa DeLauro and

George Miller detailing the growing opposition to "Fast Track" among

Congress, and preceded today's surprise release by Wikileaks of a leaked

chapter of the secretive "TPP" agreement. [Here

is Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch initial interpretations of the

chapter on intellectual property.]

 

The TPP has been called NAFTA on steroids, a "Corporate Coup," and

concerned citizens from across the nation are calling on Congress to

"Flush It!" and to oppose President Obama's request to renew "Fast

Track" authority to commit our country to this secretive agreement that

has less to do with trade, than it does with dismantling any domestic

policies that undermine future profits for transnational capital and

corporations.

 

Bill Moyer, Executive Director of the Backbone Campaign stated "Only a

bought a sold government would sign a treaty that sacrifices our

capacity as communities and country to pass laws for workers benefit,

and the protection of our communities and our natural resources."

 

The Trans-Pacific Partnership has been negotiated under secrecy for 3

years. Obama is now pushing to have it swiftly approved to much to the

dismay of members of Congress, most of whom haven't even been allowed to

see the text. While Congress is constitutionally required to negotiate

any international treaties, Fast Track or granting Obama Trade Promotion

Authority would forfeit the Congress' responsibility and the public's

right to weigh in on the TPP negotiations.

 

Perhaps in response to growing citizen outrage letters were release

today from both Democrats and Republicans challenging President Obama's

request for renewal of Fast Track authority. [From Today's Public

Citizen announcement: The

 

151-signature DeLauro-Miller letter, additional

 

letter from Democratic Ways & Means members, One

 

of two letters, this led by Representative Walter Jones (R-NC)]

 

One of the illuminated messages on Tuesday read "Corporate Tribunals

WTF?" This referred to how the TPP would give more power to corporate

interests including the ability for foreign companies to sue for

taxpayer compensation if any domestic law diminished the company's expected future profits.

 

Masked as a trade deal, the agreement has been negotiated under

supervision of 600 unelected corporate "trade advisors" while the text

has been hidden from members of Congress, the press, and the public.

What has been learned about the TPP has come through leaked texts, and

is alarming to members of Congress worried about sovereign powers being

negotiated away, public health officials, labor representatives,

environmental groups, and advocates of consumer issues.

 

"The TPP, the largest ever of it's kind, is a race to the bottom

international agreement on domestic and international policies of food

safety, internet freedom, medicine costs, financial regulation, and the

environment," says Kristen Beifus, executive director of Washington Fair

Trade Coalition."

 

Trade Justice organizations have declared December 3rd a "Global Day of

Action Against the TPP to resist toxic trade agreements." Citizens are

urged to take action in their own community, contact their

congressperson, and learn more about the TPP's dismantling of democracy

by visiting VoteNoFastTrack.org.

Citizens can find out where their congressperson stands and tweet them

at pdamerica.org/tpp.

 

Tuesday's coordinated actions were organized by the Backbone Campaign,

which specializes in "amplifying citizen engagement with creative

tactics and artful activism" in collaboration with Public Citizen's

Global Trade Watch, PopularResistance.org, Fair Trade Coalitions in

Washington and Oregon, the Overpass Light

Brigade network, and more.

 

The coordinated day of action follows on the heals of an action in

September when to the surprise of secret service, members and allies of

PopularResistance.org and the Backbone Campaign "redecorated"

the United States Trade Representatives office by scaling the building

and unfurling giant banners demanding a release of the TPP text. The

Backbone Campaign is grateful to Wikileaks for beginning that process.

 

View the growing collection of photos from the 11-12-13 actions HERE.

To speak with organizers of yesterday's day of action please contact

Bill Moyer at 206-356-9980 or Eric Ross at 805-776-3882.

  

Info and Collaborator Web Sites:

Thanks to our many awesome collaborators both mentioned and not!

 

Backbone Campaign

www.flushthetpp.org/

Popular Resistance

Public Citizen's Global Trade

Watch

Washington Fair Trade

Coalition

Oregon Fair Trade

Coalition

Luminous Intervention

Overpass Light

Brigade

Expose The TPP

Overpass Light Brigade PDX

Occupy Bellingham

Occupy Rogers Park

Chicago Overpass Light

Brigade

North Texas Light Brigade

San

Diego Overpass Light Brigade

Occupy Tucson

Occupy Spokane

South Sound

Rising Tide

#TPPMediaMarch

TPPXBorder

TPP

Talking Points

 

###

  

Backbone Campaign's mission is to provide creative strategies, artful

activism trainings, and creative action support to progressive

activists, organizers and organizations around the US and beyond in

order to invigorate and nurture a people-power, community-based, and

internationally-networked nonviolent social movement for human rights,

thriving communities, and ecological well being. Backbone Campaign's

vision is a world where human dignity, community resilience, and

ecological well being is built upon a foundation of democratic

economic and political systems and diverse, thriving culture where

human rights, the rights of communities and nature are truly

inalienable and honored.

- Photos by Ryan Harris

 

For Immediate Release: Day before Wikileak of TPP Document - 13

Cities Mobilized to Shine a Light on Secret Trans-Pacific Partnership

"Trade" Deal Telling Congress "Don't Fast Track a Train Wreck - FLUSH

the TPP!"

CONTACT: Bill Moyer 206-356-9980 | bill@backbonecampaign.org

| or Eric Ross 805-776-3882 | eric@backbonecampaign.org

| 805-776-3882 | VoteNoFastTrack.org

SEATTLE - On Tuesday evening citizens in Seattle and 12

other cities appeared on overpasses and roadsides to pull the

Trans-Pacific Partnership, aka TPP, out of the shadows and into the

light of public scrutiny. From Dallas to DC, San Diego to Seattle,

Tucson to Detroit, Baltimore to Bellingham, Spokane to Chicago

people took their messages to interstate overpasses, prominent

monuments, and busy city streets using coordinated daytime and

nighttime, high visibility tactics.

 

They deployed giant banners saying No New NAFTA, mobilized LED light

panels saying "(thumbs up) Democracy, STOP The TPP," and projected with

spotlights messages like "Don't Fast Track A Train Wreck." These

coordinated citizen's actions coincided with ongoing TPP negotiations

taking place in Salt Lake City, Utah from November 12-24

and today's anticipated release by Congressperson Rosa DeLauro and

George Miller detailing the growing opposition to "Fast Track" among

Congress, and preceded today's surprise release by Wikileaks of a leaked

chapter of the secretive "TPP" agreement. [Here

is Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch initial interpretations of the

chapter on intellectual property.]

 

The TPP has been called NAFTA on steroids, a "Corporate Coup," and

concerned citizens from across the nation are calling on Congress to

"Flush It!" and to oppose President Obama's request to renew "Fast

Track" authority to commit our country to this secretive agreement that

has less to do with trade, than it does with dismantling any domestic

policies that undermine future profits for transnational capital and

corporations.

 

Bill Moyer, Executive Director of the Backbone Campaign stated "Only a

bought a sold government would sign a treaty that sacrifices our

capacity as communities and country to pass laws for workers benefit,

and the protection of our communities and our natural resources."

 

The Trans-Pacific Partnership has been negotiated under secrecy for 3

years. Obama is now pushing to have it swiftly approved to much to the

dismay of members of Congress, most of whom haven't even been allowed to

see the text. While Congress is constitutionally required to negotiate

any international treaties, Fast Track or granting Obama Trade Promotion

Authority would forfeit the Congress' responsibility and the public's

right to weigh in on the TPP negotiations.

 

Perhaps in response to growing citizen outrage letters were release

today from both Democrats and Republicans challenging President Obama's

request for renewal of Fast Track authority. [From Today's Public

Citizen announcement: The

 

151-signature DeLauro-Miller letter, additional

 

letter from Democratic Ways & Means members, One

 

of two letters, this led by Representative Walter Jones (R-NC)]

 

One of the illuminated messages on Tuesday read "Corporate Tribunals

WTF?" This referred to how the TPP would give more power to corporate

interests including the ability for foreign companies to sue for

taxpayer compensation if any domestic law diminished the company's expected future profits.

 

Masked as a trade deal, the agreement has been negotiated under

supervision of 600 unelected corporate "trade advisors" while the text

has been hidden from members of Congress, the press, and the public.

What has been learned about the TPP has come through leaked texts, and

is alarming to members of Congress worried about sovereign powers being

negotiated away, public health officials, labor representatives,

environmental groups, and advocates of consumer issues.

 

"The TPP, the largest ever of it's kind, is a race to the bottom

international agreement on domestic and international policies of food

safety, internet freedom, medicine costs, financial regulation, and the

environment," says Kristen Beifus, executive director of Washington Fair

Trade Coalition."

 

Trade Justice organizations have declared December 3rd a "Global Day of

Action Against the TPP to resist toxic trade agreements." Citizens are

urged to take action in their own community, contact their

congressperson, and learn more about the TPP's dismantling of democracy

by visiting VoteNoFastTrack.org.

Citizens can find out where their congressperson stands and tweet them

at pdamerica.org/tpp.

 

Tuesday's coordinated actions were organized by the Backbone Campaign,

which specializes in "amplifying citizen engagement with creative

tactics and artful activism" in collaboration with Public Citizen's

Global Trade Watch, PopularResistance.org, Fair Trade Coalitions in

Washington and Oregon, the Overpass Light

Brigade network, and more.

 

The coordinated day of action follows on the heals of an action in

September when to the surprise of secret service, members and allies of

PopularResistance.org and the Backbone Campaign "redecorated"

the United States Trade Representatives office by scaling the building

and unfurling giant banners demanding a release of the TPP text. The

Backbone Campaign is grateful to Wikileaks for beginning that process.

 

View the growing collection of photos from the 11-12-13 actions HERE.

To speak with organizers of yesterday's day of action please contact

Bill Moyer at 206-356-9980 or Eric Ross at 805-776-3882.

  

Info and Collaborator Web Sites:

Thanks to our many awesome collaborators both mentioned and not!

 

Backbone Campaign

www.flushthetpp.org/

Popular Resistance

Public Citizen's Global Trade

Watch

Washington Fair Trade

Coalition

Oregon Fair Trade

Coalition

Luminous Intervention

Overpass Light

Brigade

Expose The TPP

Overpass Light Brigade PDX

Occupy Bellingham

Occupy Rogers Park

Chicago Overpass Light

Brigade

North Texas Light Brigade

San

Diego Overpass Light Brigade

Occupy Tucson

Occupy Spokane

South Sound

Rising Tide

#TPPMediaMarch

TPPXBorder

TPP

Talking Points

 

###

  

Backbone Campaign's mission is to provide creative strategies, artful

activism trainings, and creative action support to progressive

activists, organizers and organizations around the US and beyond in

order to invigorate and nurture a people-power, community-based, and

internationally-networked nonviolent social movement for human rights,

thriving communities, and ecological well being. Backbone Campaign's

vision is a world where human dignity, community resilience, and

ecological well being is built upon a foundation of democratic

economic and political systems and diverse, thriving culture where

human rights, the rights of communities and nature are truly

inalienable and honored.

Quito (Ecuador), 30 de Julio 2012. Esta mañana la señora Christine Assange, madre de Julian Assange, ingresó a la Cancillería para entrevistarse con el Canciller Ricardo Patiño. Foto: Xavier Granja Cedeño - Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Comercio e Integración.

Bradley Manning vigil at US Embassy - London 17.12.2011

 

As part of a 14-country coordinated rally in support of Bradley Manning - the young U.S. Army intelligence analyst who is accused of leaking the “Afghan War Logs” to Wikileaks - a group of supporters of Manning representing Friends of Bradley Manning UK, Veterans for Peace UK, Payday Men's Network, Queer Friends of Bradley Manning and OccupyLSX gathered outside the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square in London's Mayfair for a vigil during which many speakers voiced their extreme concern for the well-being of Manning, and to praise his brave actions.

 

Manning has been held in U.S. military custody for 18 months. He faces multiple charges which would lead to a lifetime of imprisonment if convicted for allegedly sharing a video of a U.S. helicopter attack that killed 11 civilians and seriously wounded two children in Baghdad, Iraq with the WikiLeaks website. The footage had been withheld by the U.S.military from those trying to discover the truth about the attacks. Manning is also accused of leaking what is now referred to as 'The Afghan Logs' - more than 91,000 documents of classified U.S. military logs spanning six years of U.S. occupation of Afghanistan. His pre-trial hearing began before a military tribunal on Friday 16th December at Fort Meade, Maryland, USA, cynically arranged to coincide with Bradley Manning's 24th birthday.

 

Dreadlocked supporter of Bradley Manning, Australian-born Catholic Worker, Christian anarchist and non-violent resister Ciaron O'Reilly told the crowd the latest news from Manning's hearing in Fort Mead, and went on to describe the torture and abuse Manning has endured at the hands of his completely unnaccountable gaolers, first in Quantico and now in Fort Meade. During the 1991 Gulf War, O'Reilly was a member of the 'ANZUS Ploughshares' group which attacked a B-52 Bomber which was on 20-minute scramble alert, at Griffiss AFB near Utica, New York. Their actions put the aircraft out of action for the next two months at the height of the US bombing campaign in Iraq. Together with the other members of the group, he was arrested and sentenced to 13 months in the US penal system. After his return to Australia, O'Reilly took part in the 'Jabiluka Ploughshares' group action which disabled uranium mining equipment in the Northern Territory of Australia in 1998.

 

Veterans for Peace UK's Ben Griffin, a former British SAS soldier who had been discharged from the army after he refused to be redeployed to Iraq - citing not only the "illegal" tactics of United States troops and the policies of coalition forces but also that the invasion itself was illegal, being contrary to international law - spoke to those assembled to emphasise the importance of war resisters. He told the protesters that hearing that even small numbers of people in the outside World were supporting them by protesting gave a huge emotional lift to all those Conscientious Objecters currently in military prisons.

 

“If we are not actively engaged in war resistance then we should be offering our support to those that are". said Griffin. "If it is true that Bradley Manning leaked The Afghan War Logs, The Iraq War Logs and the Collateral Murder video then the last place he should be is in prison. As far as I am concerned he is a Hero. Our countries have committed terrible crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan and it is only right that we should all know exactly what has been happening.”

 

Michael Lyons - also from Veterans for Peace UK - spoke about how reading the Afghan War Logs had confirmed his doubts about the legality of the actions carried out by coalition forces in Afghanistan. In 2010 Lyons - a former Navy medic - applied for Conscientious Objector status after reading the “Afghan War Logs” released by Wikileaks and refused to carry out rifle training in preparation for deployment to Afghanistan. He was sentenced to 7 months in Colchester military prison and was released in November 2011.

 

All photos © 2012 Pete Riches

Do not reproduce, alter or reblog my images without my written permission.

Hi-Res versions of these files are available for license on application. NUJ rates apply.

about.me/peteriches

- Photos by Ryan Harris

 

For Immediate Release: Day before Wikileak of TPP Document - 13

Cities Mobilized to Shine a Light on Secret Trans-Pacific Partnership

"Trade" Deal Telling Congress "Don't Fast Track a Train Wreck - FLUSH

the TPP!"

CONTACT: Bill Moyer 206-356-9980 | bill@backbonecampaign.org

| or Eric Ross 805-776-3882 | eric@backbonecampaign.org

| 805-776-3882 | VoteNoFastTrack.org

SEATTLE - On Tuesday evening citizens in Seattle and 12

other cities appeared on overpasses and roadsides to pull the

Trans-Pacific Partnership, aka TPP, out of the shadows and into the

light of public scrutiny. From Dallas to DC, San Diego to Seattle,

Tucson to Detroit, Baltimore to Bellingham, Spokane to Chicago

people took their messages to interstate overpasses, prominent

monuments, and busy city streets using coordinated daytime and

nighttime, high visibility tactics.

 

They deployed giant banners saying No New NAFTA, mobilized LED light

panels saying "(thumbs up) Democracy, STOP The TPP," and projected with

spotlights messages like "Don't Fast Track A Train Wreck." These

coordinated citizen's actions coincided with ongoing TPP negotiations

taking place in Salt Lake City, Utah from November 12-24

and today's anticipated release by Congressperson Rosa DeLauro and

George Miller detailing the growing opposition to "Fast Track" among

Congress, and preceded today's surprise release by Wikileaks of a leaked

chapter of the secretive "TPP" agreement. [Here

is Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch initial interpretations of the

chapter on intellectual property.]

 

The TPP has been called NAFTA on steroids, a "Corporate Coup," and

concerned citizens from across the nation are calling on Congress to

"Flush It!" and to oppose President Obama's request to renew "Fast

Track" authority to commit our country to this secretive agreement that

has less to do with trade, than it does with dismantling any domestic

policies that undermine future profits for transnational capital and

corporations.

 

Bill Moyer, Executive Director of the Backbone Campaign stated "Only a

bought a sold government would sign a treaty that sacrifices our

capacity as communities and country to pass laws for workers benefit,

and the protection of our communities and our natural resources."

 

The Trans-Pacific Partnership has been negotiated under secrecy for 3

years. Obama is now pushing to have it swiftly approved to much to the

dismay of members of Congress, most of whom haven't even been allowed to

see the text. While Congress is constitutionally required to negotiate

any international treaties, Fast Track or granting Obama Trade Promotion

Authority would forfeit the Congress' responsibility and the public's

right to weigh in on the TPP negotiations.

 

Perhaps in response to growing citizen outrage letters were release

today from both Democrats and Republicans challenging President Obama's

request for renewal of Fast Track authority. [From Today's Public

Citizen announcement: The

 

151-signature DeLauro-Miller letter, additional

 

letter from Democratic Ways & Means members, One

 

of two letters, this led by Representative Walter Jones (R-NC)]

 

One of the illuminated messages on Tuesday read "Corporate Tribunals

WTF?" This referred to how the TPP would give more power to corporate

interests including the ability for foreign companies to sue for

taxpayer compensation if any domestic law diminished the company's expected future profits.

 

Masked as a trade deal, the agreement has been negotiated under

supervision of 600 unelected corporate "trade advisors" while the text

has been hidden from members of Congress, the press, and the public.

What has been learned about the TPP has come through leaked texts, and

is alarming to members of Congress worried about sovereign powers being

negotiated away, public health officials, labor representatives,

environmental groups, and advocates of consumer issues.

 

"The TPP, the largest ever of it's kind, is a race to the bottom

international agreement on domestic and international policies of food

safety, internet freedom, medicine costs, financial regulation, and the

environment," says Kristen Beifus, executive director of Washington Fair

Trade Coalition."

 

Trade Justice organizations have declared December 3rd a "Global Day of

Action Against the TPP to resist toxic trade agreements." Citizens are

urged to take action in their own community, contact their

congressperson, and learn more about the TPP's dismantling of democracy

by visiting VoteNoFastTrack.org.

Citizens can find out where their congressperson stands and tweet them

at pdamerica.org/tpp.

 

Tuesday's coordinated actions were organized by the Backbone Campaign,

which specializes in "amplifying citizen engagement with creative

tactics and artful activism" in collaboration with Public Citizen's

Global Trade Watch, PopularResistance.org, Fair Trade Coalitions in

Washington and Oregon, the Overpass Light

Brigade network, and more.

 

The coordinated day of action follows on the heals of an action in

September when to the surprise of secret service, members and allies of

PopularResistance.org and the Backbone Campaign "redecorated"

the United States Trade Representatives office by scaling the building

and unfurling giant banners demanding a release of the TPP text. The

Backbone Campaign is grateful to Wikileaks for beginning that process.

 

View the growing collection of photos from the 11-12-13 actions HERE.

To speak with organizers of yesterday's day of action please contact

Bill Moyer at 206-356-9980 or Eric Ross at 805-776-3882.

  

Info and Collaborator Web Sites:

Thanks to our many awesome collaborators both mentioned and not!

 

Backbone Campaign

www.flushthetpp.org/

Popular Resistance

Public Citizen's Global Trade

Watch

Washington Fair Trade

Coalition

Oregon Fair Trade

Coalition

Luminous Intervention

Overpass Light

Brigade

Expose The TPP

Overpass Light Brigade PDX

Occupy Bellingham

Occupy Rogers Park

Chicago Overpass Light

Brigade

North Texas Light Brigade

San

Diego Overpass Light Brigade

Occupy Tucson

Occupy Spokane

South Sound

Rising Tide

#TPPMediaMarch

TPPXBorder

TPP

Talking Points

 

###

  

Backbone Campaign's mission is to provide creative strategies, artful

activism trainings, and creative action support to progressive

activists, organizers and organizations around the US and beyond in

order to invigorate and nurture a people-power, community-based, and

internationally-networked nonviolent social movement for human rights,

thriving communities, and ecological well being. Backbone Campaign's

vision is a world where human dignity, community resilience, and

ecological well being is built upon a foundation of democratic

economic and political systems and diverse, thriving culture where

human rights, the rights of communities and nature are truly

inalienable and honored.

Quito (Ecuador), 30 de Julio 2012. Esta mañana en la Cancillería se entrevista con el Canciller Ricardo Patiño la Sra. Christine Assange, madre de Julian Assange. Foto: Fernanda LeMarie - Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Comercio e Integración.

Credit: Bradley Manning Support Network / Made available for unrestricted

use by Manning family

-Photos by

Michael Beasley of Spokane Coalition Builders

 

For Immediate Release: Day before Wikileak of TPP Document - 13

Cities Mobilized to Shine a Light on Secret Trans-Pacific Partnership

"Trade" Deal Telling Congress "Don't Fast Track a Train Wreck - FLUSH

the TPP!"

CONTACT: Bill Moyer 206-356-9980 | bill@backbonecampaign.org

| or Eric Ross 805-776-3882 | eric@backbonecampaign.org

| 805-776-3882 | VoteNoFastTrack.org

SEATTLE - On Tuesday evening citizens in Seattle and 12

other cities appeared on overpasses and roadsides to pull the

Trans-Pacific Partnership, aka TPP, out of the shadows and into the

light of public scrutiny. From Dallas to DC, San Diego to Seattle,

Tucson to Detroit, Baltimore to Bellingham, Spokane to Chicago

people took their messages to interstate overpasses, prominent

monuments, and busy city streets using coordinated daytime and

nighttime, high visibility tactics.

 

They deployed giant banners saying No New NAFTA, mobilized LED light

panels saying "(thumbs up) Democracy, STOP The TPP," and projected with

spotlights messages like "Don't Fast Track A Train Wreck." These

coordinated citizen's actions coincided with ongoing TPP negotiations

taking place in Salt Lake City, Utah from November 12-24

and today's anticipated release by Congressperson Rosa DeLauro and

George Miller detailing the growing opposition to "Fast Track" among

Congress, and preceded today's surprise release by Wikileaks of a leaked

chapter of the secretive "TPP" agreement. [Here

is Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch initial interpretations of the

chapter on intellectual property.]

 

The TPP has been called NAFTA on steroids, a "Corporate Coup," and

concerned citizens from across the nation are calling on Congress to

"Flush It!" and to oppose President Obama's request to renew "Fast

Track" authority to commit our country to this secretive agreement that

has less to do with trade, than it does with dismantling any domestic

policies that undermine future profits for transnational capital and

corporations.

 

Bill Moyer, Executive Director of the Backbone Campaign stated "Only a

bought a sold government would sign a treaty that sacrifices our

capacity as communities and country to pass laws for workers benefit,

and the protection of our communities and our natural resources."

 

The Trans-Pacific Partnership has been negotiated under secrecy for 3

years. Obama is now pushing to have it swiftly approved to much to the

dismay of members of Congress, most of whom haven't even been allowed to

see the text. While Congress is constitutionally required to negotiate

any international treaties, Fast Track or granting Obama Trade Promotion

Authority would forfeit the Congress' responsibility and the public's

right to weigh in on the TPP negotiations.

 

Perhaps in response to growing citizen outrage letters were release

today from both Democrats and Republicans challenging President Obama's

request for renewal of Fast Track authority. [From Today's Public

Citizen announcement: The

 

151-signature DeLauro-Miller letter, additional

 

letter from Democratic Ways & Means members, One

 

of two letters, this led by Representative Walter Jones (R-NC)]

 

One of the illuminated messages on Tuesday read "Corporate Tribunals

WTF?" This referred to how the TPP would give more power to corporate

interests including the ability for foreign companies to sue for

taxpayer compensation if any domestic law diminished the company's expected future profits.

 

Masked as a trade deal, the agreement has been negotiated under

supervision of 600 unelected corporate "trade advisors" while the text

has been hidden from members of Congress, the press, and the public.

What has been learned about the TPP has come through leaked texts, and

is alarming to members of Congress worried about sovereign powers being

negotiated away, public health officials, labor representatives,

environmental groups, and advocates of consumer issues.

 

"The TPP, the largest ever of it's kind, is a race to the bottom

international agreement on domestic and international policies of food

safety, internet freedom, medicine costs, financial regulation, and the

environment," says Kristen Beifus, executive director of Washington Fair

Trade Coalition."

 

Trade Justice organizations have declared December 3rd a "Global Day of

Action Against the TPP to resist toxic trade agreements." Citizens are

urged to take action in their own community, contact their

congressperson, and learn more about the TPP's dismantling of democracy

by visiting VoteNoFastTrack.org.

Citizens can find out where their congressperson stands and tweet them

at pdamerica.org/tpp.

 

Tuesday's coordinated actions were organized by the Backbone Campaign,

which specializes in "amplifying citizen engagement with creative

tactics and artful activism" in collaboration with Public Citizen's

Global Trade Watch, PopularResistance.org, Fair Trade Coalitions in

Washington and Oregon, the Overpass Light

Brigade network, and more.

 

The coordinated day of action follows on the heals of an action in

September when to the surprise of secret service, members and allies of

PopularResistance.org and the Backbone Campaign "redecorated"

the United States Trade Representatives office by scaling the building

and unfurling giant banners demanding a release of the TPP text. The

Backbone Campaign is grateful to Wikileaks for beginning that process.

 

View the growing collection of photos from the 11-12-13 actions HERE.

To speak with organizers of yesterday's day of action please contact

Bill Moyer at 206-356-9980 or Eric Ross at 805-776-3882.

  

Info and Collaborator Web Sites:

Thanks to our many awesome collaborators both mentioned and not!

 

Backbone Campaign

www.flushthetpp.org/

Popular Resistance

Public Citizen's Global Trade

Watch

Washington Fair Trade

Coalition

Oregon Fair Trade

Coalition

Luminous Intervention

Overpass Light

Brigade

Expose The TPP

Overpass Light Brigade PDX

Occupy Bellingham

Occupy Rogers Park

Chicago Overpass Light

Brigade

North Texas Light Brigade

San

Diego Overpass Light Brigade

Occupy Tucson

Occupy Spokane

South Sound

Rising Tide

#TPPMediaMarch

TPPXBorder

TPP

Talking Points

 

###

  

Backbone Campaign's mission is to provide creative strategies, artful

activism trainings, and creative action support to progressive

activists, organizers and organizations around the US and beyond in

order to invigorate and nurture a people-power, community-based, and

internationally-networked nonviolent social movement for human rights,

thriving communities, and ecological well being. Backbone Campaign's

vision is a world where human dignity, community resilience, and

ecological well being is built upon a foundation of democratic

economic and political systems and diverse, thriving culture where

human rights, the rights of communities and nature are truly

inalienable and honored.

- Photos by

 

Benji Bao Vương and imagery mobilized by Overpass Light Brigade PDX

and Oregon Fair Trade

 

For Immediate Release: Day before Wikileak of TPP Document - 13

Cities Mobilized to Shine a Light on Secret Trans-Pacific Partnership

"Trade" Deal Telling Congress "Don't Fast Track a Train Wreck - FLUSH

the TPP!"

CONTACT: Bill Moyer 206-356-9980 | bill@backbonecampaign.org

| or Eric Ross 805-776-3882 | eric@backbonecampaign.org

| 805-776-3882 | VoteNoFastTrack.org

SEATTLE - On Tuesday evening citizens in Seattle and 12

other cities appeared on overpasses and roadsides to pull the

Trans-Pacific Partnership, aka TPP, out of the shadows and into the

light of public scrutiny. From Dallas to DC, San Diego to Seattle,

Tucson to Detroit, Baltimore to Bellingham, Spokane to Chicago

people took their messages to interstate overpasses, prominent

monuments, and busy city streets using coordinated daytime and

nighttime, high visibility tactics.

 

They deployed giant banners saying No New NAFTA, mobilized LED light

panels saying "(thumbs up) Democracy, STOP The TPP," and projected with

spotlights messages like "Don't Fast Track A Train Wreck." These

coordinated citizen's actions coincided with ongoing TPP negotiations

taking place in Salt Lake City, Utah from November 12-24

and today's anticipated release by Congressperson Rosa DeLauro and

George Miller detailing the growing opposition to "Fast Track" among

Congress, and preceded today's surprise release by Wikileaks of a leaked

chapter of the secretive "TPP" agreement. [Here

is Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch initial interpretations of the

chapter on intellectual property.]

 

The TPP has been called NAFTA on steroids, a "Corporate Coup," and

concerned citizens from across the nation are calling on Congress to

"Flush It!" and to oppose President Obama's request to renew "Fast

Track" authority to commit our country to this secretive agreement that

has less to do with trade, than it does with dismantling any domestic

policies that undermine future profits for transnational capital and

corporations.

 

Bill Moyer, Executive Director of the Backbone Campaign stated "Only a

bought a sold government would sign a treaty that sacrifices our

capacity as communities and country to pass laws for workers benefit,

and the protection of our communities and our natural resources."

 

The Trans-Pacific Partnership has been negotiated under secrecy for 3

years. Obama is now pushing to have it swiftly approved to much to the

dismay of members of Congress, most of whom haven't even been allowed to

see the text. While Congress is constitutionally required to negotiate

any international treaties, Fast Track or granting Obama Trade Promotion

Authority would forfeit the Congress' responsibility and the public's

right to weigh in on the TPP negotiations.

 

Perhaps in response to growing citizen outrage letters were release

today from both Democrats and Republicans challenging President Obama's

request for renewal of Fast Track authority. [From Today's Public

Citizen announcement: The

 

151-signature DeLauro-Miller letter, additional

 

letter from Democratic Ways & Means members, One

 

of two letters, this led by Representative Walter Jones (R-NC)]

 

One of the illuminated messages on Tuesday read "Corporate Tribunals

WTF?" This referred to how the TPP would give more power to corporate

interests including the ability for foreign companies to sue for

taxpayer compensation if any domestic law diminished the company's expected future profits.

 

Masked as a trade deal, the agreement has been negotiated under

supervision of 600 unelected corporate "trade advisors" while the text

has been hidden from members of Congress, the press, and the public.

What has been learned about the TPP has come through leaked texts, and

is alarming to members of Congress worried about sovereign powers being

negotiated away, public health officials, labor representatives,

environmental groups, and advocates of consumer issues.

 

"The TPP, the largest ever of it's kind, is a race to the bottom

international agreement on domestic and international policies of food

safety, internet freedom, medicine costs, financial regulation, and the

environment," says Kristen Beifus, executive director of Washington Fair

Trade Coalition."

 

Trade Justice organizations have declared December 3rd a "Global Day of

Action Against the TPP to resist toxic trade agreements." Citizens are

urged to take action in their own community, contact their

congressperson, and learn more about the TPP's dismantling of democracy

by visiting VoteNoFastTrack.org.

Citizens can find out where their congressperson stands and tweet them

at pdamerica.org/tpp.

 

Tuesday's coordinated actions were organized by the Backbone Campaign,

which specializes in "amplifying citizen engagement with creative

tactics and artful activism" in collaboration with Public Citizen's

Global Trade Watch, PopularResistance.org, Fair Trade Coalitions in

Washington and Oregon, the Overpass Light

Brigade network, and more.

 

The coordinated day of action follows on the heals of an action in

September when to the surprise of secret service, members and allies of

PopularResistance.org and the Backbone Campaign "redecorated"

the United States Trade Representatives office by scaling the building

and unfurling giant banners demanding a release of the TPP text. The

Backbone Campaign is grateful to Wikileaks for beginning that process.

 

View the growing collection of photos from the 11-12-13 actions HERE.

To speak with organizers of yesterday's day of action please contact

Bill Moyer at 206-356-9980 or Eric Ross at 805-776-3882.

  

Info and Collaborator Web Sites:

Thanks to our many awesome collaborators both mentioned and not!

 

Backbone Campaign

www.flushthetpp.org/

Popular Resistance

Public Citizen's Global Trade

Watch

Washington Fair Trade

Coalition

Oregon Fair Trade

Coalition

Luminous Intervention

Overpass Light

Brigade

Expose The TPP

Overpass Light Brigade PDX

Occupy Bellingham

Occupy Rogers Park

Chicago Overpass Light

Brigade

North Texas Light Brigade

San

Diego Overpass Light Brigade

Occupy Tucson

Occupy Spokane

South Sound

Rising Tide

#TPPMediaMarch

TPPXBorder

TPP

Talking Points

 

###

  

Backbone Campaign's mission is to provide creative strategies, artful

activism trainings, and creative action support to progressive

activists, organizers and organizations around the US and beyond in

order to invigorate and nurture a people-power, community-based, and

internationally-networked nonviolent social movement for human rights,

thriving communities, and ecological well being. Backbone Campaign's

vision is a world where human dignity, community resilience, and

ecological well being is built upon a foundation of democratic

economic and political systems and diverse, thriving culture where

human rights, the rights of communities and nature are truly

inalienable and honored.

Bradley Manning vigil at US Embassy - London 17.12.2011

 

As part of a 14-country coordinated rally in support of Bradley Manning - the young U.S. Army intelligence analyst who is accused of leaking the “Afghan War Logs” to Wikileaks - a group of supporters of Manning representing Friends of Bradley Manning UK, Veterans for Peace UK, Payday Men's Network, Queer Friends of Bradley Manning and OccupyLSX gathered outside the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square in London's Mayfair for a vigil during which many speakers voiced their extreme concern for the well-being of Manning, and to praise his brave actions.

 

Manning has been held in U.S. military custody for 18 months. He faces multiple charges which would lead to a lifetime of imprisonment if convicted for allegedly sharing a video of a U.S. helicopter attack that killed 11 civilians and seriously wounded two children in Baghdad, Iraq with the WikiLeaks website. The footage had been withheld by the U.S.military from those trying to discover the truth about the attacks. Manning is also accused of leaking what is now referred to as 'The Afghan Logs' - more than 91,000 documents of classified U.S. military logs spanning six years of U.S. occupation of Afghanistan. His pre-trial hearing began before a military tribunal on Friday 16th December at Fort Meade, Maryland, USA, cynically arranged to coincide with Bradley Manning's 24th birthday.

 

Dreadlocked supporter of Bradley Manning, Australian-born Catholic Worker, Christian anarchist and non-violent resister Ciaron O'Reilly told the crowd the latest news from Manning's hearing in Fort Mead, and went on to describe the torture and abuse Manning has endured at the hands of his completely unnaccountable gaolers, first in Quantico and now in Fort Meade. During the 1991 Gulf War, O'Reilly was a member of the 'ANZUS Ploughshares' group which attacked a B-52 Bomber which was on 20-minute scramble alert, at Griffiss AFB near Utica, New York. Their actions put the aircraft out of action for the next two months at the height of the US bombing campaign in Iraq. Together with the other members of the group, he was arrested and sentenced to 13 months in the US penal system. After his return to Australia, O'Reilly took part in the 'Jabiluka Ploughshares' group action which disabled uranium mining equipment in the Northern Territory of Australia in 1998.

 

Veterans for Peace UK's Ben Griffin, a former British SAS soldier who had been discharged from the army after he refused to be redeployed to Iraq - citing not only the "illegal" tactics of United States troops and the policies of coalition forces but also that the invasion itself was illegal, being contrary to international law - spoke to those assembled to emphasise the importance of war resisters. He told the protesters that hearing that even small numbers of people in the outside World were supporting them by protesting gave a huge emotional lift to all those Conscientious Objecters currently in military prisons.

 

“If we are not actively engaged in war resistance then we should be offering our support to those that are". said Griffin. "If it is true that Bradley Manning leaked The Afghan War Logs, The Iraq War Logs and the Collateral Murder video then the last place he should be is in prison. As far as I am concerned he is a Hero. Our countries have committed terrible crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan and it is only right that we should all know exactly what has been happening.”

 

Michael Lyons - also from Veterans for Peace UK - spoke about how reading the Afghan War Logs had confirmed his doubts about the legality of the actions carried out by coalition forces in Afghanistan. In 2010 Lyons - a former Navy medic - applied for Conscientious Objector status after reading the “Afghan War Logs” released by Wikileaks and refused to carry out rifle training in preparation for deployment to Afghanistan. He was sentenced to 7 months in Colchester military prison and was released in November 2011.

 

All photos © 2012 Pete Riches

Do not reproduce, alter or reblog my images without my written permission.

Hi-Res versions of these files are available for license on application. NUJ rates apply.

about.me/peteriches

Bradley Manning vigil at US Embassy - London 17.12.2011

 

As part of a 14-country coordinated rally in support of Bradley Manning - the young U.S. Army intelligence analyst who is accused of leaking the “Afghan War Logs” to Wikileaks - a group of supporters of Manning representing Friends of Bradley Manning UK, Veterans for Peace UK, Payday Men's Network, Queer Friends of Bradley Manning and OccupyLSX gathered outside the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square in London's Mayfair for a vigil during which many speakers voiced their extreme concern for the well-being of Manning, and to praise his brave actions.

 

Manning has been held in U.S. military custody for 18 months. He faces multiple charges which would lead to a lifetime of imprisonment if convicted for allegedly sharing a video of a U.S. helicopter attack that killed 11 civilians and seriously wounded two children in Baghdad, Iraq with the WikiLeaks website. The footage had been withheld by the U.S.military from those trying to discover the truth about the attacks. Manning is also accused of leaking what is now referred to as 'The Afghan Logs' - more than 91,000 documents of classified U.S. military logs spanning six years of U.S. occupation of Afghanistan. His pre-trial hearing began before a military tribunal on Friday 16th December at Fort Meade, Maryland, USA, cynically arranged to coincide with Bradley Manning's 24th birthday.

 

Dreadlocked supporter of Bradley Manning, Australian-born Catholic Worker, Christian anarchist and non-violent resister Ciaron O'Reilly told the crowd the latest news from Manning's hearing in Fort Mead, and went on to describe the torture and abuse Manning has endured at the hands of his completely unnaccountable gaolers, first in Quantico and now in Fort Meade. During the 1991 Gulf War, O'Reilly was a member of the 'ANZUS Ploughshares' group which attacked a B-52 Bomber which was on 20-minute scramble alert, at Griffiss AFB near Utica, New York. Their actions put the aircraft out of action for the next two months at the height of the US bombing campaign in Iraq. Together with the other members of the group, he was arrested and sentenced to 13 months in the US penal system. After his return to Australia, O'Reilly took part in the 'Jabiluka Ploughshares' group action which disabled uranium mining equipment in the Northern Territory of Australia in 1998.

 

Veterans for Peace UK's Ben Griffin, a former British SAS soldier who had been discharged from the army after he refused to be redeployed to Iraq - citing not only the "illegal" tactics of United States troops and the policies of coalition forces but also that the invasion itself was illegal, being contrary to international law - spoke to those assembled to emphasise the importance of war resisters. He told the protesters that hearing that even small numbers of people in the outside World were supporting them by protesting gave a huge emotional lift to all those Conscientious Objecters currently in military prisons.

 

“If we are not actively engaged in war resistance then we should be offering our support to those that are". said Griffin. "If it is true that Bradley Manning leaked The Afghan War Logs, The Iraq War Logs and the Collateral Murder video then the last place he should be is in prison. As far as I am concerned he is a Hero. Our countries have committed terrible crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan and it is only right that we should all know exactly what has been happening.”

 

Michael Lyons - also from Veterans for Peace UK - spoke about how reading the Afghan War Logs had confirmed his doubts about the legality of the actions carried out by coalition forces in Afghanistan. In 2010 Lyons - a former Navy medic - applied for Conscientious Objector status after reading the “Afghan War Logs” released by Wikileaks and refused to carry out rifle training in preparation for deployment to Afghanistan. He was sentenced to 7 months in Colchester military prison and was released in November 2011.

 

All photos © 2012 Pete Riches

Do not reproduce, alter or reblog my images without my written permission.

Hi-Res versions of these files are available for license on application. NUJ rates apply.

about.me/peteriches

-Photos by

Michael Beasley of Spokane Coalition Builders

 

For Immediate Release: Day before Wikileak of TPP Document - 13

Cities Mobilized to Shine a Light on Secret Trans-Pacific Partnership

"Trade" Deal Telling Congress "Don't Fast Track a Train Wreck - FLUSH

the TPP!"

CONTACT: Bill Moyer 206-356-9980 | bill@backbonecampaign.org

| or Eric Ross 805-776-3882 | eric@backbonecampaign.org

| 805-776-3882 | VoteNoFastTrack.org

SEATTLE - On Tuesday evening citizens in Seattle and 12

other cities appeared on overpasses and roadsides to pull the

Trans-Pacific Partnership, aka TPP, out of the shadows and into the

light of public scrutiny. From Dallas to DC, San Diego to Seattle,

Tucson to Detroit, Baltimore to Bellingham, Spokane to Chicago

people took their messages to interstate overpasses, prominent

monuments, and busy city streets using coordinated daytime and

nighttime, high visibility tactics.

 

They deployed giant banners saying No New NAFTA, mobilized LED light

panels saying "(thumbs up) Democracy, STOP The TPP," and projected with

spotlights messages like "Don't Fast Track A Train Wreck." These

coordinated citizen's actions coincided with ongoing TPP negotiations

taking place in Salt Lake City, Utah from November 12-24

and today's anticipated release by Congressperson Rosa DeLauro and

George Miller detailing the growing opposition to "Fast Track" among

Congress, and preceded today's surprise release by Wikileaks of a leaked

chapter of the secretive "TPP" agreement. [Here

is Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch initial interpretations of the

chapter on intellectual property.]

 

The TPP has been called NAFTA on steroids, a "Corporate Coup," and

concerned citizens from across the nation are calling on Congress to

"Flush It!" and to oppose President Obama's request to renew "Fast

Track" authority to commit our country to this secretive agreement that

has less to do with trade, than it does with dismantling any domestic

policies that undermine future profits for transnational capital and

corporations.

 

Bill Moyer, Executive Director of the Backbone Campaign stated "Only a

bought a sold government would sign a treaty that sacrifices our

capacity as communities and country to pass laws for workers benefit,

and the protection of our communities and our natural resources."

 

The Trans-Pacific Partnership has been negotiated under secrecy for 3

years. Obama is now pushing to have it swiftly approved to much to the

dismay of members of Congress, most of whom haven't even been allowed to

see the text. While Congress is constitutionally required to negotiate

any international treaties, Fast Track or granting Obama Trade Promotion

Authority would forfeit the Congress' responsibility and the public's

right to weigh in on the TPP negotiations.

 

Perhaps in response to growing citizen outrage letters were release

today from both Democrats and Republicans challenging President Obama's

request for renewal of Fast Track authority. [From Today's Public

Citizen announcement: The

 

151-signature DeLauro-Miller letter, additional

 

letter from Democratic Ways & Means members, One

 

of two letters, this led by Representative Walter Jones (R-NC)]

 

One of the illuminated messages on Tuesday read "Corporate Tribunals

WTF?" This referred to how the TPP would give more power to corporate

interests including the ability for foreign companies to sue for

taxpayer compensation if any domestic law diminished the company's expected future profits.

 

Masked as a trade deal, the agreement has been negotiated under

supervision of 600 unelected corporate "trade advisors" while the text

has been hidden from members of Congress, the press, and the public.

What has been learned about the TPP has come through leaked texts, and

is alarming to members of Congress worried about sovereign powers being

negotiated away, public health officials, labor representatives,

environmental groups, and advocates of consumer issues.

 

"The TPP, the largest ever of it's kind, is a race to the bottom

international agreement on domestic and international policies of food

safety, internet freedom, medicine costs, financial regulation, and the

environment," says Kristen Beifus, executive director of Washington Fair

Trade Coalition."

 

Trade Justice organizations have declared December 3rd a "Global Day of

Action Against the TPP to resist toxic trade agreements." Citizens are

urged to take action in their own community, contact their

congressperson, and learn more about the TPP's dismantling of democracy

by visiting VoteNoFastTrack.org.

Citizens can find out where their congressperson stands and tweet them

at pdamerica.org/tpp.

 

Tuesday's coordinated actions were organized by the Backbone Campaign,

which specializes in "amplifying citizen engagement with creative

tactics and artful activism" in collaboration with Public Citizen's

Global Trade Watch, PopularResistance.org, Fair Trade Coalitions in

Washington and Oregon, the Overpass Light

Brigade network, and more.

 

The coordinated day of action follows on the heals of an action in

September when to the surprise of secret service, members and allies of

PopularResistance.org and the Backbone Campaign "redecorated"

the United States Trade Representatives office by scaling the building

and unfurling giant banners demanding a release of the TPP text. The

Backbone Campaign is grateful to Wikileaks for beginning that process.

 

View the growing collection of photos from the 11-12-13 actions HERE.

To speak with organizers of yesterday's day of action please contact

Bill Moyer at 206-356-9980 or Eric Ross at 805-776-3882.

  

Info and Collaborator Web Sites:

Thanks to our many awesome collaborators both mentioned and not!

 

Backbone Campaign

www.flushthetpp.org/

Popular Resistance

Public Citizen's Global Trade

Watch

Washington Fair Trade

Coalition

Oregon Fair Trade

Coalition

Luminous Intervention

Overpass Light

Brigade

Expose The TPP

Overpass Light Brigade PDX

Occupy Bellingham

Occupy Rogers Park

Chicago Overpass Light

Brigade

North Texas Light Brigade

San

Diego Overpass Light Brigade

Occupy Tucson

Occupy Spokane

South Sound

Rising Tide

#TPPMediaMarch

TPPXBorder

TPP

Talking Points

 

###

  

Backbone Campaign's mission is to provide creative strategies, artful

activism trainings, and creative action support to progressive

activists, organizers and organizations around the US and beyond in

order to invigorate and nurture a people-power, community-based, and

internationally-networked nonviolent social movement for human rights,

thriving communities, and ecological well being. Backbone Campaign's

vision is a world where human dignity, community resilience, and

ecological well being is built upon a foundation of democratic

economic and political systems and diverse, thriving culture where

human rights, the rights of communities and nature are truly

inalienable and honored.

Bradley Manning vigil at US Embassy - London 17.12.2011

 

As part of a 14-country coordinated rally in support of Bradley Manning - the young U.S. Army intelligence analyst who is accused of leaking the “Afghan War Logs” to Wikileaks - a group of supporters of Manning representing Friends of Bradley Manning UK, Veterans for Peace UK, Payday Men's Network, Queer Friends of Bradley Manning and OccupyLSX gathered outside the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square in London's Mayfair for a vigil during which many speakers voiced their extreme concern for the well-being of Manning, and to praise his brave actions.

 

Manning has been held in U.S. military custody for 18 months. He faces multiple charges which would lead to a lifetime of imprisonment if convicted for allegedly sharing a video of a U.S. helicopter attack that killed 11 civilians and seriously wounded two children in Baghdad, Iraq with the WikiLeaks website. The footage had been withheld by the U.S.military from those trying to discover the truth about the attacks. Manning is also accused of leaking what is now referred to as 'The Afghan Logs' - more than 91,000 documents of classified U.S. military logs spanning six years of U.S. occupation of Afghanistan. His pre-trial hearing began before a military tribunal on Friday 16th December at Fort Meade, Maryland, USA, cynically arranged to coincide with Bradley Manning's 24th birthday.

 

Dreadlocked supporter of Bradley Manning, Australian-born Catholic Worker, Christian anarchist and non-violent resister Ciaron O'Reilly told the crowd the latest news from Manning's hearing in Fort Mead, and went on to describe the torture and abuse Manning has endured at the hands of his completely unnaccountable gaolers, first in Quantico and now in Fort Meade. During the 1991 Gulf War, O'Reilly was a member of the 'ANZUS Ploughshares' group which attacked a B-52 Bomber which was on 20-minute scramble alert, at Griffiss AFB near Utica, New York. Their actions put the aircraft out of action for the next two months at the height of the US bombing campaign in Iraq. Together with the other members of the group, he was arrested and sentenced to 13 months in the US penal system. After his return to Australia, O'Reilly took part in the 'Jabiluka Ploughshares' group action which disabled uranium mining equipment in the Northern Territory of Australia in 1998.

 

Veterans for Peace UK's Ben Griffin, a former British SAS soldier who had been discharged from the army after he refused to be redeployed to Iraq - citing not only the "illegal" tactics of United States troops and the policies of coalition forces but also that the invasion itself was illegal, being contrary to international law - spoke to those assembled to emphasise the importance of war resisters. He told the protesters that hearing that even small numbers of people in the outside World were supporting them by protesting gave a huge emotional lift to all those Conscientious Objecters currently in military prisons.

 

“If we are not actively engaged in war resistance then we should be offering our support to those that are". said Griffin. "If it is true that Bradley Manning leaked The Afghan War Logs, The Iraq War Logs and the Collateral Murder video then the last place he should be is in prison. As far as I am concerned he is a Hero. Our countries have committed terrible crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan and it is only right that we should all know exactly what has been happening.”

 

Michael Lyons - also from Veterans for Peace UK - spoke about how reading the Afghan War Logs had confirmed his doubts about the legality of the actions carried out by coalition forces in Afghanistan. In 2010 Lyons - a former Navy medic - applied for Conscientious Objector status after reading the “Afghan War Logs” released by Wikileaks and refused to carry out rifle training in preparation for deployment to Afghanistan. He was sentenced to 7 months in Colchester military prison and was released in November 2011.

 

All photos © 2012 Pete Riches

Do not reproduce, alter or reblog my images without my written permission.

Hi-Res versions of these files are available for license on application. NUJ rates apply.

about.me/peteriches

Adjudication Services

P.O. Box 37135

Washington, DC 20013

 

To whom it may concern:

 

I would like to plead not-guilty to the Truck Zone Violation.

 

On Saturday March 19th 2011, I was pulled over by Secret Service Police on the corner of 17th Street NW and E Street NW. I was told that I was driving my 2-axel, 14ft. box truck in a “No Truck Zone.”

 

However I retraced my route that led me to where I was given the ticket, and there is no signage to caution or prevent me from driving a truck into 17th Street NW.

This was my very first day driving in Washington DC, and I was here for a peace protest.

 

I decorated my truck to say “WikiLeaks Top Secret Mobile Information Collection Unit”. Needless to say, it got the attention of The Secret Service, and they followed me all day.

 

They admitted to looking in my windows while it was parked, and that they wanted to see what was in the back of the truck.

I was driving north on 18th Street NW. I turned right onto F Street NW, which is a one way. There were absolutely no signs at the intersection telling me that trucks were not allowed to turn down F Street NW. I then arrived to the intersection of F Street NW and 17th Street NW. Again there was no signage to let me know that I could not turn onto 17th Street NW. It is also a one way street. I turned right 17th Street NW, and I was pulled over one block later.

 

Officer Wolf admitted that there was no signage at the intersections. While I was being searched and interrogated other box trucks drove down 17th Street NW without getting pulled over or receiving a ticket. This leads me to believe that I was targeted because of decals on my truck.

Enclosed are pictures of the intersections at 18th Street NW and F Street NW and the intersection of 17th Street NW and F Street NW. Nowhere in these photos can you find a sign alerting drivers not to drive trucks on these streets.

 

Sincerely,

 

Clark Stoeckley

-Photos by

Michael Beasley of Spokane Coalition Builders

 

For Immediate Release: Day before Wikileak of TPP Document - 13

Cities Mobilized to Shine a Light on Secret Trans-Pacific Partnership

"Trade" Deal Telling Congress "Don't Fast Track a Train Wreck - FLUSH

the TPP!"

CONTACT: Bill Moyer 206-356-9980 | bill@backbonecampaign.org

| or Eric Ross 805-776-3882 | eric@backbonecampaign.org

| 805-776-3882 | VoteNoFastTrack.org

SEATTLE - On Tuesday evening citizens in Seattle and 12

other cities appeared on overpasses and roadsides to pull the

Trans-Pacific Partnership, aka TPP, out of the shadows and into the

light of public scrutiny. From Dallas to DC, San Diego to Seattle,

Tucson to Detroit, Baltimore to Bellingham, Spokane to Chicago

people took their messages to interstate overpasses, prominent

monuments, and busy city streets using coordinated daytime and

nighttime, high visibility tactics.

 

They deployed giant banners saying No New NAFTA, mobilized LED light

panels saying "(thumbs up) Democracy, STOP The TPP," and projected with

spotlights messages like "Don't Fast Track A Train Wreck." These

coordinated citizen's actions coincided with ongoing TPP negotiations

taking place in Salt Lake City, Utah from November 12-24

and today's anticipated release by Congressperson Rosa DeLauro and

George Miller detailing the growing opposition to "Fast Track" among

Congress, and preceded today's surprise release by Wikileaks of a leaked

chapter of the secretive "TPP" agreement. [Here

is Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch initial interpretations of the

chapter on intellectual property.]

 

The TPP has been called NAFTA on steroids, a "Corporate Coup," and

concerned citizens from across the nation are calling on Congress to

"Flush It!" and to oppose President Obama's request to renew "Fast

Track" authority to commit our country to this secretive agreement that

has less to do with trade, than it does with dismantling any domestic

policies that undermine future profits for transnational capital and

corporations.

 

Bill Moyer, Executive Director of the Backbone Campaign stated "Only a

bought a sold government would sign a treaty that sacrifices our

capacity as communities and country to pass laws for workers benefit,

and the protection of our communities and our natural resources."

 

The Trans-Pacific Partnership has been negotiated under secrecy for 3

years. Obama is now pushing to have it swiftly approved to much to the

dismay of members of Congress, most of whom haven't even been allowed to

see the text. While Congress is constitutionally required to negotiate

any international treaties, Fast Track or granting Obama Trade Promotion

Authority would forfeit the Congress' responsibility and the public's

right to weigh in on the TPP negotiations.

 

Perhaps in response to growing citizen outrage letters were release

today from both Democrats and Republicans challenging President Obama's

request for renewal of Fast Track authority. [From Today's Public

Citizen announcement: The

 

151-signature DeLauro-Miller letter, additional

 

letter from Democratic Ways & Means members, One

 

of two letters, this led by Representative Walter Jones (R-NC)]

 

One of the illuminated messages on Tuesday read "Corporate Tribunals

WTF?" This referred to how the TPP would give more power to corporate

interests including the ability for foreign companies to sue for

taxpayer compensation if any domestic law diminished the company's expected future profits.

 

Masked as a trade deal, the agreement has been negotiated under

supervision of 600 unelected corporate "trade advisors" while the text

has been hidden from members of Congress, the press, and the public.

What has been learned about the TPP has come through leaked texts, and

is alarming to members of Congress worried about sovereign powers being

negotiated away, public health officials, labor representatives,

environmental groups, and advocates of consumer issues.

 

"The TPP, the largest ever of it's kind, is a race to the bottom

international agreement on domestic and international policies of food

safety, internet freedom, medicine costs, financial regulation, and the

environment," says Kristen Beifus, executive director of Washington Fair

Trade Coalition."

 

Trade Justice organizations have declared December 3rd a "Global Day of

Action Against the TPP to resist toxic trade agreements." Citizens are

urged to take action in their own community, contact their

congressperson, and learn more about the TPP's dismantling of democracy

by visiting VoteNoFastTrack.org.

Citizens can find out where their congressperson stands and tweet them

at pdamerica.org/tpp.

 

Tuesday's coordinated actions were organized by the Backbone Campaign,

which specializes in "amplifying citizen engagement with creative

tactics and artful activism" in collaboration with Public Citizen's

Global Trade Watch, PopularResistance.org, Fair Trade Coalitions in

Washington and Oregon, the Overpass Light

Brigade network, and more.

 

The coordinated day of action follows on the heals of an action in

September when to the surprise of secret service, members and allies of

PopularResistance.org and the Backbone Campaign "redecorated"

the United States Trade Representatives office by scaling the building

and unfurling giant banners demanding a release of the TPP text. The

Backbone Campaign is grateful to Wikileaks for beginning that process.

 

View the growing collection of photos from the 11-12-13 actions HERE.

To speak with organizers of yesterday's day of action please contact

Bill Moyer at 206-356-9980 or Eric Ross at 805-776-3882.

  

Info and Collaborator Web Sites:

Thanks to our many awesome collaborators both mentioned and not!

 

Backbone Campaign

www.flushthetpp.org/

Popular Resistance

Public Citizen's Global Trade

Watch

Washington Fair Trade

Coalition

Oregon Fair Trade

Coalition

Luminous Intervention

Overpass Light

Brigade

Expose The TPP

Overpass Light Brigade PDX

Occupy Bellingham

Occupy Rogers Park

Chicago Overpass Light

Brigade

North Texas Light Brigade

San

Diego Overpass Light Brigade

Occupy Tucson

Occupy Spokane

South Sound

Rising Tide

#TPPMediaMarch

TPPXBorder

TPP

Talking Points

 

###

  

Backbone Campaign's mission is to provide creative strategies, artful

activism trainings, and creative action support to progressive

activists, organizers and organizations around the US and beyond in

order to invigorate and nurture a people-power, community-based, and

internationally-networked nonviolent social movement for human rights,

thriving communities, and ecological well being. Backbone Campaign's

vision is a world where human dignity, community resilience, and

ecological well being is built upon a foundation of democratic

economic and political systems and diverse, thriving culture where

human rights, the rights of communities and nature are truly

inalienable and honored.

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