WikiLeaks: Exposing War Crimes Shouldn’t Be A Crime In A Democracy

A growing number of peace activists are speaking out and demonstrating against the arrest of Private Bradley Manning, who is accused of giving classified documents to whistle-blowing web site WikiLeaks. Some politicians and commentators have gone as far as calling Manning a “traitor” while anti-war activists are embracing his allege role in the documents disclosure as patriotic.

Several demonstrations organized by anti-war groups; World Can’t Wait, Code Pink, Veterans For Peace, and Iraq Veterans Against The War took place recently in New-York, Oklahoma City and Virginia to protest the May arrest of 23-year old Manning. Private Manning was charged with leaking over 75,000 classified reports on the war in Afghanistan. If convicted, Manning faces up to 52 years in prison.

Manning is currently represented by military appointed attorneys who have refused to comment on the charges. The fact that Private Manning could not pick his defense team is viewed by many as a parody of justice. Amongst them is Mike Gogulski, the founder of The Bradley Manning Support Network. In Gogulski’s opinion Manning’s arrest is not justified.

Mike Gogulski says his organization has already raised $50,000 to help hire a civilian attorney for Manning. For its part, WikiLeaks has pledged to match the fund raising effort of the Bradley Manning Support Network.

“I think the grand dream that I and many others share is that someone in the Obama administration will wake up and realize that what they are dealing with here is not a case of treason, but rather a heroic act to bring transparency to the prosecution of these wars,” says Gogulski.