FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Massachusetts Pirate Party pays tribute to whistleblowers on Saturday March 8th
Boston, MA — March 8th, 2014 – During the last few years, our federal government has been waging nothing less than a war on whistleblowers. From Chelsea Manning to Edward Snowden; from Jeremy Hammond to the Associated Press. The Massachusetts Pirate Party will be at Logan Airport Terminal E Arrivals area from 1:00 – 3:00 pm on Saturday, March 8th, to pay tribute to these courageous individuals.
“We plan to stand in the terminal, holding signs with the names of whistleblowers, as if we’re waiting for their flight to arrive,” said Pirate Party Treasurer Steve Revilak. ”It’s symbolic of what we’re really waiting for — which is for these whistleblowers to be pardoned, and recognized for their contributions to society.”
Edward Snowden’s name should be immediately recognizable to anyone, and we can thank him for telling the world about massive US Government surveillance programs. Chelsea Manning leaked the Afghan war diaries, the Collateral Murder video, and thousands of US diplomatic cables; her efforts helped paint a clear picture of how the US conducts itself on foreign soil. Jeremy Hammond leaked a collection of documents from intelligence contractor Stratfor, revealing the Federal Government’s campaign against human rights activists.
“In the 2008 election, President Obama claimed he would make government more transparent. Yet, his administration has prosecuted twice as many whistleblowers as all other presidents combined,” said Pirate Party Secretary Lucia Fiero. ”Whistleblowers deserve honors and accolades, not 30 year jail sentences!”
The US government has a double standard when it comes to leaks. John Kiriakou, a former CIA administrator who confirmed our use of illegal torture, is in jail for leaking classified information. However, Bush administration officials Richard Armitage and Karl Rove were never prosecuted for revealing that Valerie E. Wilson was a covert CIA officer.
“The US government has bent over backwards to protect the rich and powerful when they engage in illegal activity, whether torture in CIA black sites or money laundering by HSBC. We are proud to stand with whistleblowers who bring light to the illegal activities of our government and help inform the American people,” said Pirate Party Chair, James O’Keefe.
About the Massachusetts Pirate Party
The Massachusetts Pirate Party is the party of Open Government, Open Innovation, Open Culture, and People First. It is the only political party in Massachusetts with the objective of defending the Internet as an open resource for all. The Massachusetts Pirate Party is currently identifying and training candidates to contest the 2014 Massachusetts legislative and 2015 municipal elections.
For More Information
James O’Keefe
press@masspirates.org
(617) 863-6277
See https://masspirates.org/blog/press/ for publicity photos, our logo, etc.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Massachusetts Pirate Party pays tribute to whistleblowers on Saturday March 8th
Boston, MA — March 8th, 2014 – During the last few years, our federal government has been waging nothing less than a war on whistleblowers. From Chelsea Manning to Edward Snowden; from Jeremy Hammond to the Associated Press. The Massachusetts Pirate Party will be at Logan Airport Terminal E Arrivals area from 1:00 – 3:00 pm on Saturday, March 8th, to pay tribute to these courageous individuals.
“We plan to stand in the terminal, holding signs with the names of whistleblowers, as if we’re waiting for their flight to arrive,” said Pirate Party Treasurer Steve Revilak. ”It’s symbolic of what we’re really waiting for — which is for these whistleblowers to be pardoned, and recognized for their contributions to society.”
Edward Snowden’s name should be immediately recognizable to anyone, and we can thank him for telling the world about massive US Government surveillance programs. Chelsea Manning leaked the Afghan war diaries, the Collateral Murder video, and thousands of US diplomatic cables; her efforts helped paint a clear picture of how the US conducts itself on foreign soil. Jeremy Hammond leaked a collection of documents from intelligence contractor Stratfor, revealing the Federal Government’s campaign against human rights activists.
“In the 2008 election, President Obama claimed he would make government more transparent. Yet, his administration has prosecuted twice as many whistleblowers as all other presidents combined,” said Pirate Party Secretary Lucia Fiero. ”Whistleblowers deserve honors and accolades, not 30 year jail sentences!”
The US government has a double standard when it comes to leaks. John Kiriakou, a former CIA administrator who confirmed our use of illegal torture, is in jail for leaking classified information. However, Bush administration officials Richard Armitage and Karl Rove were never prosecuted for revealing that Valerie E. Wilson was a covert CIA officer.
“The US government has bent over backwards to protect the rich and powerful when they engage in illegal activity, whether torture in CIA black sites or money laundering by HSBC. We are proud to stand with whistleblowers who bring light to the illegal activities of our government and help inform the American people,” said Pirate Party Chair, James O’Keefe.
About the Massachusetts Pirate Party
The Massachusetts Pirate Party is the party of Open Government, Open Innovation, Open Culture, and People First. It is the only political party in Massachusetts with the objective of defending the Internet as an open resource for all. The Massachusetts Pirate Party is currently identifying and training candidates to contest the 2014 Massachusetts legislative and 2015 municipal elections.
For More Information
James O’Keefe
press@masspirates.org
(617) 863-6277
See https://masspirates.org/blog/press/ for publicity photos, our logo, etc.