About 35 Arrested At Rally For Wikileaks Suspect
TRIANGLE, Va. (WJZ) -- Hundreds of protesters rallied outside a Virginia military base concerned about the treatment of Maryland soldier Bradley Manning.
Adam May reports the 23-year-old military analyst faces a slew of charges relating to the largest document leak in American history.
Manning is accused of handing over classified information to Julian Assange who published the information on the website Wikileaks.
Manning is being held in solitary confinement. Each night, he's stripped naked and then forced to wear a suicide proof smock to bed.
P.J. Crowley, the former spokesman for the state department, called Manning's treatment ridiculous, counterproductive and stupid.
His comment led to his resignation and a response from the president:
"I have actually asked the Pentagon whether or not the procedures that have been taken in terms of his confinement are appropriate and are meeting our basic standards. They assured me that they are," President Barack Obama said.
Maryland Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger, who sits on the House Intelligence Committee, told WJZ the Wikileaks case is a threat to national security.
"I feel anyone involved in this-- whether one person or a conspiracy-- they need to be investigated, and if the evidence is there, they need to be prosecuted to the fullest extent," Ruppersberger said.
But the protesters call Manning a hero for exposing war crimes, including one video that shows the shooting of unarmed Iraqis.
About 35 protesters were arrested for blocking traffic.
