What we have done

Clemency campaign for Chelsea Manning

Objector Sara Beining Released From Jail

Military war resister Sara Beining was sentenced to time already served in pre-trial confinement, and given a “bad conduct” discharge. Sara originally faced a decade in prison on two counts of desertion, so this was a major victory. Sara benefited greatly from the representation of attorney James Branum of Oklahoma City. Mr. Branum’s services and expenses were paid for by Courage to Resist and our supporters nationwide. Read more

West Coast GI Coffeehouse Tour

In a campaign reminiscent of Vietnam War days, military veterans and family members traveled to ten west coast cities promoting GI outreach centers in Texas, Washington state, and Germany. The tour kicked off in San Diego and was sponsored by Courage to Resist, Veterans For Peace, Iraq Veterans Against the War, War Resisters League, Military Law Task Force, Center for Conscience and War, March Forward, Center for Conscience in Action, Catalyst Project, and GI Rights Network. “This unique tour reminds us of the key role GI’s have played in ending wars,” said Iraq veteran Malachi Muncy.  “It is critically important to address the complex needs of today’s veterans, active duty GI’s, and family members, who have suffered much from multiple deployments to the U.S. occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan.” Read more

SOA Watch’s 25th Anniversary Vigil

Courage to Resist was proud to be an endorsing organization for the School of the Americas Watch’s 25th anniversary vigil at Ft. Benning, Georgia. We joined others to remember the martyrs and denounce continued SOA violence against our brothers and sisters in Latin America. Read more

Welcome Home Bowe Bergdahl

Courage to Resist celebrated Sgt. Bergdahl returning home. “Nothing exposes the decadence of American militarism and the ideology of American exceptionalism better than the explosion of emotion sweeping the internet, Congress and the news media over the prisoner exchange of Bowe Bergdahl for five Taliban,” wrote Winston Warfield at Counterpunch, “He is being vilified as a deserter and personally responsible for the deaths of fellow soldiers missioned to find him [a claim debunked by the NY Times]. The American right-wing located in the Republican party, some liberals like Chris Matthews and Dianne Feinstein and some of his fellow soldiers are all calling for his head in a display of vengeful nastiness bordering on psychotic. Bergdahl’s motivations for walking away from the bizarre U.S. counterinsurgency expedition in Afghanistan, a ‘dirty war’ seemingly without purpose or end, are being lost in the fog of infantile political temper tantrums.”  Read more

Chelsea Manning Celebrates Formal Name Change

It was an exciting day when Chelsea was able to formally change her name from “Bradley Edward Manning” to “Chelsea Elizabeth Manning.” “I’ve been working for months for this change, and waiting for years,” she said. “It’s worth noting that in both mail and in-person, I’ve often been asked, ‘Why are you changing your name?’”, she continued, “The answer couldn’t be simpler: because it’s a far better, richer, and more honest reflection of who I am and always have been –a woman named Chelsea.” Read more

300 March on Ft. Meade in Support of Manning

At least 300 supporters gathered outside Fort Meade, Maryland, where the military was in its second day of a preliminary hearing process for Chelsea Manning. Manning supporters gathered and then set off for a two-mile march to a gate nearer the military hearing site. Following the march, a number of speakers addressed the crowd and discussed Manning’s case. After the final speaker singer-songwriter Dave Rovics led the group in singing Happy Birthday to Manning, who was turning 24. Read more

Rallies at Obama Offices for Chelsea Manning

Six veterans and activists in Oakland, and six more in Portland, were arrested at Obama 2012 campaign offices for occupying the spaces in solidarity with Chelsea Manning. Dozens of veterans and anti-war demonstrators also coordinated a West Coast set of actions that also included protests in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Seattle. One of the protesters was Iraq War vet Scott Olsen. “We occupied the President’s campaign office to raise awareness about the injustices [Chelsea] Manning has endured,” he explained,  “Bradley has sacrificed for us, doing what was right despite potentially spending the rest of his life in jail.” Read more

Presentation by Chelsea Manning’s Lawyer

Chelsea Manning’s defense attorney David Coombs gave his first public presentation to an audience of over a hundred people at All Souls Church in Washington DC. Additional speakers included Emma Cape and Kevin Zeese of the Chelsea Manning Support Network, the late Michael Ratner of the Center for Constitutional Rights, Jesselyn Radack of the Government Accountability Project, and Marsha Coleman-Adebayo of the National Whistleblower Center. Mr. Coombs specifically noted the ongoing support of Courage to Resist and its efforts to free Manning. Read more

Free Chelsea Manning Events

Courage to Resist organizers Jeff Paterson and Emma Cape toured Minneapolis, Washburn, Madison, Ann Arbor, Sacramento, Fresno, Los Angeles, Ventura, Palm Springs and San Diego and presented multimedia presentations on Chelsea Manning’s case. The presentations included an overview of the case, reports from the pre-trial motion hearings and updates on  the international grassroots campaign. Read more