In recent news we took notice that you froze the account of Courage to Resist, the organization raising funds for legal support of U.S. Army Pfc. Bradley Manning.
We regret to learn that after the massive protest in December 2010, PayPal has yet to appreciate the untenable position they have found themselves in. PayPal stands at the epicenter of the conflict of interests between the United States government and the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. You are already aware that Bradley Manning's motives and reasoning are politically grounded. However, his motives and/or reasoning are not and should not be any concern to you. Additionally, by refusing to process the aforementioned legal funds you are patently interfering with the defendant's financial and legal resources, thus curtailing his rights to a fair trial and freedom of speech. We urge you to take immediate action by unfreezing Courage to Resist's account and to maintain a neutral position.
We would also like to learn the real reason why Bradley Manning's support was cut off. Based on how long PayPal was aware of Mr. Manning's situation and the subsequent controversy surrounding him, it is doubtful that the current course of action is spontaneous. That it took such an extended time to rule on any violations of your terms of service is peculiar, at best.
We truly hope to avoid future protests against your company, such as those that occurred last December. We hope you will show courage and integrity by standing up against the United States Government's systematic abuse of first amendment rights.
Please consider our requests. You and your subsequent actions can make the difference.
Love and kisses
Anonymous
We are Legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect us.
By Courage to Resist and the Bradley Manning Support Network.
SAN FRANCISCO, --- Reacting to an enormous backlash following our statement "PayPal Cuts Service to Courage to Resist, Bradley Manning Effort", PayPal has reinstated the account of Courage to Resist, an organization which has partnered with the Bradley Manning Support Network to raise funds for the defense of accused WikLeaks whistleblower Bradley Manning. The change in account status comes with no explanation from the online payment provider, and only hours after the nonprofit organization published a press release drawing attention to the matter.
Jeff Paterson, Project Director of Courage to Resist, and member of the Bradley Manning Support Network steering committee, released the following statement this evening:
We have spent nearly a month trying to resolve this matter with senior PayPal staff. Only after a conference call in which their chief compliance officer bluntly stated at our account would be permanently restricted, and our funds returned in 180 days, did we issue this morning’s statement on the matter. During our conversations with PayPal, we covered possible solutions such as opening a separate checking account to link with, opening a new PayPal account, or changing our PayPal account type from non-profit to a standard business account, in order to resolve our impasse. We were told that all such efforts would be considered "fraudulent" and not acceptable.
I few moments ago I received an email from PayPal, “Hello Courage to Resist. Our review is complete and we have restored your account.” Upon logging into the PayPal account, we’re now greeted with, "Your Account Access is Back in Regular Standing. Thank you for taking the steps to return your account to regular standing..."
Thank you to all of our supporters – many of whom contacted PayPal individually or signed the petition hosted by Firedoglake – who helped us restore our account. We are extremely grateful to everyone who raised their voice today. While PayPal was never a primary channel for our online donors, it is especially valuable to our international supporters who do not use US-based credit cards or checks. I hope you will now help us get back to our real work in support of accused WikiLeaks whistle-blower Bradley Manning.
- Stop the extreme, inhumane and illegal pre-trial punishment of Bradley Manning
- Ensure that Bradley Manning receives top-notch legal representation from the lawyer of his choice
- Stop any effort by the United States government to hold a secret court martial trial, unchecked by public and media oversight
Disclaimer Tuo commento sarŕ visibile dopo la moderazione. - Your comment will be visible after the moderation. - Comentariul tău va fi vizibil după moderare.
Articolo 
Storico
Stampa
Feed RSS 0.91
Feed Atom 0.3
