Supporters of Accused WikiLeaks Source Rally
Anti-War groups protest near Quantico
It turns out the Army private at the center of the WikiLeaks investigation has some fans... anti-war protesters. A group of activists rallied in support of P.F.C. Bradley Manning Sunday afternoon.
Manning is being investigated in the leak of more than 90,000 documents to the online whistleblower WikiLeaks, which has caused uproar both in the military and at the White House. He was already in custody for allegedly leaking a video from a military helicopter in 2007 that shows the chopper firing on a group of people in Afghanistan.
The protesters rallied a Quantico, Va. municipal park near Quantico Marine Base, where Manning is being held. Organizers of the rally included Courage to Resist, a group that is raising money to help pay for a civil defense attorney.
CodePink, an anti-war group, says it’s not only about freeing Manning but also holding the current and past administrations accountable for starting the wars.
"No top-level officials in the Bush and Obama administrations have been held accountable for their roles in dragging us into the Iraq war on the basis of lies or for potential war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan," said Medea Benjamin of CodePink.
Military supporters also showed up to the park. There was some debate between the two groups, but the protests remained peaceful.
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