On Wed/ Aug. 21, 2013, the day the Military trial Judge sentenced Bradley Manning to 35 years in prison for exposing U.S. war crimes by releasing to the Wiki leaks publication the Iraq and Afghan War Logs and the 'Collateral Murder' video, Bay Area organizations and individuals gathered to express publicly an enormous outpouring of love and support for him.

At 5:00 p.m., at the Embarcadero near San Francisco's waterfront, about 150 activists, speakers, poets, dancers, photographers, videographers and musicians gathered at Justin Herman Plaza [renamed Bradley Manning Plaza].

Sponsoring organizations, Courage To Resist, Bradley Manning Support Network, Code Pink, Veterans For Peace, and World Can't Wait are Bradley's longtime supporters. The Bradley Manning Support Network has, from the beginning, funded his legal costs.

The 'Get Up Street Theater' performed a flashmob dance to Michael Jackson's 'They Don't Really Care About Us.' Poet, Paul Matzner, read 'Let Us Now Praise Bradley Manning.' Francis Collins sang 'Lives In The Balance.'

Event organizer, Cynthia Papermaster, talked about her now 68-day hunger strike against torture, false imprisonment, and prison force feedings. She will fast on 300 calories a day until President Barack Obama shows serious signs that he will release the 166 cleared Guantanamo detainees.

Speakers and participants strongly agreed there should and will be a concerted effort to pressure for Bradley's release.

Rainey Reitman, Electronic Frontier Foundation Attorney, reported that the Bradley Manning Support Network and Amnesty International were creating a petition for a Presidential Pardon. See: Pardon Bradley Manning.org or Whitehouse.gov for the pardoning petition.

Mary Anne Thomas of World Can't Wait urged people to write letters of support to Bradley.

Address Letters:

Commander, HHC USAG
Attn: PFC Bradley Manning
239 Sheridan Ave, Bldg 417
JBM-HH, VA 22211

To make sure the confinement facility delivers them properly, the cover of the letters should be addressed to "Bradley Manning." However, the interior of the letters may address Manning as Chelsea and use the feminine pronoun.

To enjoy the entertainment and take part in the outpouring of support please view the accompanying video of the same title.