Marching for Bradley at Pride

NEW YORK-- Veterans for Peace marched in the massive New York City Gay Pride Parade to demand freedom for Bradley Manning.

Manning, who is reportedly gay, is the 23-year-old soldier who has been charged with "aiding the enemy" for allegedly revealing diplomatic cables to WikiLeaks. He could face the death penalty.

The vets carried a 12-foot banner saying "Free Bradley Manning" as they marched down Fifth Avenue from 37th Street to Christopher Street in Greenwich Village. The huge crowd cheered the Bradley Manning banner all the way down Fifth Avenue. Many flashed the peace sign. They eagerly reached out for the Bradley Manning leaflets the marchers were handing out.

Hugh Bruce is a gay veteran and leading member of the New York Veterans for Peace. He was given a battlefield promotion in Vietnam and a less-than-honorable discharge when he came home. "I think it was very important that we were there for Bradley Manning, Bruce said. "I don't care about his love life, but the government is using homophobia to try to smear him. People need to go on supporting him."

He added, "It makes me very proud that our Veterans for Peace chapter marches in the Pride Parade every year. I think it's good for us and good for the movement."

Frank Sterns, the president of the New York City Chapter of Veterans for Peace, said, "We're supporting Bradley Manning because the American people need to know what's being done in their name. WikiLeaks has uncovered a lot, especially about the Iraq war, that we really have to know." He said that Veterans for Peace will go on supporting Bradley Manning until he is free.