The announcement below was issued by the Bradley Manning Support Network. The ANSWER Coalition is supporting this call, and we encourage all our members and supporters to attend these events or local actions organized in their area.

March & rally for Bradley during pre-trial hearing

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16th, 8am-5pm
VIGIL at FT. MEADE’S MAIN GATE

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17th, NOON-3pm
RALLY & MARCH at FT. MEADE

START OF COURT MARTIAL PROCEEDINGS
ARTICLE 32 PRE-TRIAL HEARING

Fort Meade Main Gate
Maryland 175 & Reece Rd
Fort Meade, MD 21113 (map)

Rally for Bradley at Fort Meade leaflet PDF

Friday, Dec 16th will be the first time in his 18 months of incarceration that he will face a judge. Saturday, Dec. 17th will be Bradley’s 24th birthday.

Event details updated December 14, 2011

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16th, 8am-5pm
VIGIL at FT. MEADE’S MAIN GATE
Maryland 175 & Reece Rd, Fort Meade, MD 21113
(or attend his pre-hearing-please see important info below)

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17th, NOON-3pm
RALLY & MARCH at FT. MEADE
Supporters will meet at Ft. Meade’s main gate at noon. At approx. 1pm, we’ll march south along MD 175 (aka Rouse Pkwy/Annapolis Rd) one mile via the sidewalk in a single or double file line to Llewellyn Ave (aka Blue Water Blvd) for a rally. Scheduled speakers include: Pentagon Papers whistle-blower Dan Ellsberg, US Army Col. Ann Wright (ret.), Lt. Dan Choi, John Penley (Vietnam Veteran/OccupyWallStreet Activist), Michael Paterson (OccupyDC, Iraq Veterans Against the War), and Bradley Manning Support Network organizers. The military courtroom is located on Llewellyn Ave, just inside Ft. Meade. Afterwards, we’ll march back to the main gate.

* Parking Friday: The shopping area at 1700 Annapolis Road (MD-175) is the best option, but limited. Additional parking is available further south near Blue Water Blvd (Weis Market). We’ll try to help shuttle folks as needed. Please do not park at Meade Heights Elementary School on Friday.
* Parking Saturday: Please park at Meade Heights Elementary School, 1925 Reece Road Ft. Meade, MD 20755
* Portable toilets are expected to be available both Friday and Saturday

We hope you can join us at Ft. Meade in person, but if you can’t, solidarity actions will be taking place around the world on Dec 17th. (we will update this page with info about those events once they become available) http://events.bradleymanning.org/

SUPPORTERS WISHING TO ATTEND THE PRE-TRIAL PROCEEDINGS
If you wish to attend the pre-trial hearing, you will need to go to the Fort Meade Visitor Control Center at the Fort Meade Main Gate (all the other gates are for military ID holders only). We suggest arriving when the visitor center opens at 7:30am, and certainly before 8:15am. The proceedings are scheduled to begin at 9am daily, from Friday, December 16th through Thursday, December 22nd–including Saturday, December 17th and Sunday, December 18th. The proceedings may continue into the evenings.

Each person will need a valid state or federal photo ID such as a driver’s license, state photo ID card, or passport. Anyone driving on to Fort Meade will be required to submit their driver’s license, vehicle registration, and printed (not digital) proof of insurance. Your vehicle will be subject to search. Consider walking on base if there are any questions at all regarding your vehicle and paperwork.

The proceedings will be held at the Magistrate Court, 4432 Llewellyn Ave, Fort Meade, MD 20755 (this is one mile from the Visitor Center). Most or all visitors are expected to be seated in a remote viewing area near the courtroom equipped with closed circuit TV. Electronic devices, including cell phones, computers, cameras, will be barred from both the courtroom and the remote viewing area. The military will use metal detectors to enforce this ban.

Media wishing to attend the proceedings should contact the US Army Military District of Washington Public Affairs Office at [email protected], 202-685-4645. An overview of Army imposed restrictions on media regarding the proceedings is available at:

http://www.bradleymanning.org/news/update-12911

GETTING THERE
The Fort Meade Main Gate is less than 10 miles south of the Baltimore-Washington DC International (BWI) airport. It is located between Washington DC and Baltimore MD.

Driving:
From Washington, DC, take MD-295 N towards BALTIMORE to US 175 EAST, then follow 175 EAST until you come to Reece Road. From Baltimore, MD, take MD-295 S towards WASHINGTON to US 175 EAST, then take 175 EAST until you come to Reece Road.

Parking:
On Friday, the shopping area at 1700 Annapolis Road, Odenton, MD 21113 is another option with some street parking, but it is pretty limited. There is plenty of space on unrestricted military owned roads in the area, including base housing areas (you wouldn’t even know they were military roads unless you looked at a map). We suggest avoiding these parking options. Additional parking is available near Blue Water Blvd (Weis Market). We’ll try to help shuttle folks as needed.

On Saturday, please park at Meade Heights Elementary School, 1925 Reece Road Ft. Meade, MD 20755. It is a 1/2 mile walk west to the Fort Meade Main Gate. All parking between Meade Heights Elementary School and the Main Gate is military property.

Train:
We initially hoped to run a shuttle van from the nearby Odenton MARC train station; however, this commuter train does not run on the weekend. Amtrak does not stop at this station. Unfortunately, we will not be able to provide regular shuttle service from the MARC station.

Buses:
* A chartered bus will be leaving Washington DC’s McPherson Square on Saturday, 11am, and returning by 5pm. This bus is being made available on a first come, first board basis.
* A chartered bus will be leaving Washington DC’s Freedom Plaza on Saturday, 11am, and returning by 5pm. Please contact Kevin Zeese at kbzeese[at]gmail.com to sign up (or find Kevin at the Freedom Plaza info tent).
* Two vans will be leaving Freedom Plaza on both Friday and Saturday. The early van will leave at 7:15am for those interested in attending the hearing on Fort Meade.
* A chartered bus will also be coming from Occupy Wall Street in NYC. Bus departs from the north side of Liberty Plaza (aka Zuccotti Park), NYC, at 5am, Friday morning and returns Saturday evening. Please try and get to Zuccotti park by 4:30am, Friday morning. Email ows4bradley[at]gmail.com to rsvp!

There is regional bus service from BWI Airport to the Arundel Mills Shopping Center (Bus 017). Then take the CTC K to the Main Gate. For a Google Maps public transit view of this option: http://alturl.com/3ehis

WHERE TO STAY
There are many hotels serving this area just south of the BWI Airport. The closest of these are 5-6 miles from the Ft. Meade Main Gate. One option is Aloft Arundel Mills, 7520 Teague Rd, Hanover, MD, 21076 (866-539-0036), $80-$100 night. A hotels.com search of the area turns up rooms nearby starting at $60 a night. The only lodging really close to the Ft. Meade Main Gate is the White Gables Motel; however, for a number of reasons, we suggest avoiding it.

Individuals attending the proceedings on base may park at the Visitor Control Center and walk to courtroom.