Monthly Archive for May, 2019

Chelsea Manning’s legal team files motion to reconsider sanctions

from The Sparrow Project 

Alexandria, VA — Today (May 31), Chelsea Manning and her legal team filed a Motion to Reconsider Sanctions, in which they ask Judge Anthony Trenga to release Chelsea from confinement, and ask that he modify the fines he imposed on her.

During the May 16th contempt hearing, Judge Trenga found Ms. Manning in contempt of court and ordered her confined for the term of the grand jury. Judge Trenga also imposed graduated fines to be assessed at $500 per day starting after 30 days of confinement, and jumping to $1,000 per day after 60 days, for as long as she refuses to comply with the court’s order to answer questions before the grand jury.

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Five peace activists arrested, spend night in jail after Armed Forces Day direct action at Des Moines drone command center

photo by Susan van der Hijden

from Frank Cordaro

The 3rd annual “Honor Vets, Ground Drones” Armed Forces Day Rally and Direct Action at the main entrance of the Iowa Air National Guard Drone Command Center took place as planned on Saturday, May 18 at 3 p.m., right before a major thunderstorm hit Des Moines! Twenty-five people gathered to protest the Des Moines Armed Drone Command Center.

Gil Landolt, from the Des Moines Catholic Worker and President of the Des Moines Bill Basinger Veterans for Peace chapter, was the first to speak. Gil speaks from his heart, as a Vet for Peace. It’s always moving to hear him speak. 

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Four peace activists illegally evicted and arrested at Venezuelan embassy in D.C.

CODEPINK Denounces Illegal Entry and Arrest at D.C. Venezuelan Embassy and Vows to Keep Fighting to Protect the Embassy

Thursday, May 16, Washington D.C. — At 9:30 a.m. in the morning, D.C. police officers illegally entered the Venezuelan embassy in Washington D.C. in the Georgetown neighborhood and arrested four activists lawfully living in the building since April 10, as guests of the legitimate Venezuelan government. The four activists are Margaret Flowers and Kevin Zeese (with the group Popular Resistance), Adrienne Pine (an academic) and David Paul (a CODEPINK member). They are part of the Embassy Protection Collective that has been living in the embassy since April 10.

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Chelsea Manning remanded into federal custody, for again refusing to testify before a Grand Jury

from The Sparrow Project

Statement from Chelsea Manning’s Lawyers Regarding Chelsea Being Remanded Into Custody

Alexandria, VA — Today, Chelsea Manning was remanded into federal custody, again, for refusing to testify before a federal Grand Jury.  

In addition to being held in confinement for the duration of the Grand Jury investigation or until she purges her contempt and testifies, District Court Judge Anthony Trenga ordered Chelsea to be fined $500 every day she is in custody after 30 days and $1,000 every day she is in custody after 60 days.

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Nine nuclear resisters arrested on Mother’s Day weekend at Bangor Trident nuclear submarine base

Photo by Glen Milner

from the Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action

Approximately thirty nuclear disarmament activists took part in a spirited rally at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor on Saturday, May 11th in the spirit of the original anti-war message of Mother’s Day, which calls for the abolition of war and militarism (and of course nuclear weapons). 

The Ground Zero Center activists were accompanied by the Seattle Peace Chorus. Also participating was Chicago-based peacemaker Kathy Kelly of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, whose keynote address at Ground Zero Center was titled: “Deploying Love in a Permanent Warfare State.” Earlier in the day, Tacoma-based attorney Blake Kremer briefed the activists on their legal rights while undertaking nonviolent actions.

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Whistleblower charged with giving classified drone warfare documents to journalist

Ex-NSA official charged with leaking classified drone documents

Daniel Hale is accused of giving top secret files on drone warfare to a journalist at an online news outlet

A former National Security Agency (NSA) official has been charged with giving classified documents on drone warfare to a journalist, amid a crackdown on government leaks by Donald Trump’s administration.

Daniel Hale is accused of leaking top secret files that were published by an online news outlet. The outlet was not identified by prosecutors, but the files described appear to match those published in a series by the Intercept.

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Nuclear Resister Issue #191

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Twenty-three arrests at Good Friday blockade of Livermore Nuclear Weapons Lab

Photo by Mark Coplan

from the Ecumenical Peace Institute and Livermore Conversion Project

Faith-based Resistance to Nuclear Weapons
On Good Friday, April 19, around 70 people concerned about the continuing development of nuclear weapons gathered outside the Livermore Nuclear Weapons Laboratory in California. Rev. Will McGarvey, the pastor of Community Presbyterian Church in Pittsburg, spoke on the subject “Keeping Faith in the Face of Empire” at the early morning interfaith prayer service. Afterwards, the group walked about one-third of a mile to the lab’s West Gate, pausing along the way to meditate on the sufferings of the people represented at the Stations of the Cross of Empire. At the gate, there was a circle dance led by Dances for Universal Peace. Twenty-three activists were then arrested for blocking the gate.

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