Hundreds of people, including designer Vivienne Westwood and Pink Floyd bassist Roger Waters, have gathered in London to protest against the extradition of Julian Assange and demand that he be released.
The Wikileaks founder has been held on remand in Belmarsh since last September after serving a 50-week jail sentence for breaching his bail conditions while he was in the Ecuadorian embassy in London.
He entered the building in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden over sex offence allegations, which he has always denied and were subsequently dropped.
The 48-year-old is wanted in the US to face 18 charges, including conspiring to commit computer intrusion, over the publication of US cables a decade ago. If found guilty he could face up to 175 years in jail.
Amongst the crowds of protesters who have gathered outside Australia house, is Mrs Westwood, 78, who was pictured wearing a head band emblazoned with the word ‘Angel’.
Also there is former Greek finance minister Yannis Varoufakis, 58, and musician Mr Waters, 76.
Hundreds of people, including designer Vivienne Westwood and Pink Floyd bassist Roger Waters, have gathered in London to protest against the extradition of Julian Assange and demand that he be released
The Wikileaks founder has been held on remand in Belmarsh since last September after serving a 50-week jail sentence for breaching his bail conditions while he was in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Pictured left to right: Former Greek finance minister Yannis Varoufakis, Mrs Westwood, Wikileaks editor Kristinn Hrafnsonn, Mr Assange’s father John Shipton and singer Mr Waters
Mr Assange entered the building in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden over sex offence allegations, which he has always denied and were subsequently dropped. Pictured: Mr Assange gestures to the media after he was taken to Westminster Magistrates court on leaving the embassy last year
The 48-year-old is wanted in the US to face 18 charges, including conspiring to commit computer intrusion, over the publication of US cables a decade ago. If found guilty he could face up to 175 years in jail.
Amongst the crowds of protesters who have gathered outside Australia house, is Mrs Westwood, 78, who was pictured wearing a head band emblazoned with the word ‘Angel’.
Also there is former Greek finance minister Yannis Varoufakis, 58, and Pink Floyd bassist Roger Waters, 76.
The 48-year-old is wanted in the US to face 18 charges, including conspiring to commit computer intrusion, over the publication of US cables a decade ago. If found guilty he could face up to 175 years in jail. Pictured: One of the protesters at the gathering
Amongst the crowds of protesters who have gathered outside Australia house, is Mrs Westwood, 78, who was pictured wearing a head band emblazoned with the word ‘Angel’
Also there is former Greek finance minister Yannis Varoufakis, 58, who was pictured amid the throngs of people
One of the banners read ‘Don’t extradite Assange’ and was emblazoned on the side of a van and also held up by Mrs Westwood, Mr Waters, Varoufakis Mr Assange’s father John Shipton, and current Wikileaks editor Kristinn Hrafnsson
Both men joined fashion designer Mrs Westwood, Mr Assange’s father John Shipton, and current Wikileaks editor Kristinn Hrafnsson in holding up a banner which read ‘Don’t extradite Assange’ in capital letters.
Other banners at the protest read ‘journalism is not a crime’, ‘free Julian Assange’, and ‘the truth will set you free’, although the latter had crossed out some of the words so it read, ‘the truth will get you jailed’.
Mr Assange’s father Mr Shipton gave a speech to crowds in Parliament Square.
He said: ‘I look over the crowd and see many familiar faces in the crowd and the press supporting Julian and I thank you.
‘I bring to you his affection, his nobility of purpose and his strength of character after nine years. I don’t really understand why Julian is in jail here.’
He described the imprisonment of the Wikileaks founder as ‘arbitrary detention.’
Many protesters were wearing prisoner-style costumes and a series of masks, including one which depicted US President Donald Trump.
Speaking at the extradition protest, Sinthia Surace, 22, whose family fled the Sri Lanka civil war, said: ‘It took a lot of brave people to expose all the crimes impacting my community directly. That’s why I care about voices like Julian.
Other banners at the protest read ‘journalism is not a crime’, ‘free Julian Assange’, and ‘the truth will set you free’, although the latter had crossed out some of the words so it read, ‘the truth will get you jailed’
Many protesters were wearing prisoner-style costumes and a series of masks, including one which depicted US President Donald Trump
The protesters gathered outside the doors of Australia House in central London and held placards, one of which read ‘crushing Assange is the start of the surveillance state’
The protesters are hoping to stop Mr Assange from being extradited to the US, where he could spend years in prison
Mrs Westwood has been a long-time supporter of Mr Assange and visited him when he was in the Ecuadorian embassy
‘I don’t believe we should be punishing him for the wrong doings of the US government. He always says privacy for the citizen but transparency for the government, especially when it comes to human lives.’
Ms Surace said she believes ‘all the protesting and banging on HMP Belmarsh’s doors’ will make a difference for Assange.
The protest comes after Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell sparked fury from Jewish groups by comparing Mr Assange’s battle to evade extradition to the plight of a French soldier falsely accused of treason by anti-Semites.
Mr Assange’s father Mr Shipton (centre) gave a speech to crowds in Parliament Square. He said: ‘I look over the crowd and see many familiar faces in the crowd and the press supporting Julian and I thank you.’ Pictured: Wikileaks editor Mr Hrafnsonn, Mr Shipton, and Mrs Westwood
Mrs Westwood was also pictured speaking to media who had gathered to talk to protesters outside Australia House
The Labour shadow chancellor made the remark as he became the most senior politician to visit the Wikileaks founder in prison in London on Thursday.
He described US attempts to extradite the Australian as ‘the Dreyfus case of our age – a comparison with 19th Century French officer Alfred Dreyfus.
He was convicted of treason at an 1895 court martial on treason charges many felt were brought against him because he was Jewish.
The protest comes after Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell sparked fury from Jewish groups by comparing Mr Assange’s battle to evade extradition to the plight of a French soldier falsely accused of treason by anti-Semites
Some of the protesters carried British and American flags which they handcuffed to themselves as they held posters and banners aloft
Veteran LGBT rights campaigner Peter Tatchell was also present at the protest. He held a poster which read: ‘No extradition! Julian Assange told the truth. He exposed US war crimes
He was later exonerated after a long campaign featuring intellectuals such as novelist Emile Zola, who wrote a famous denunciation of the prosecution case entitled J’Accuse (I accuse).
Labour has been engulfed by an anti-Semitism crisis under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership and Mr McDonnell’s remarks prompted a furious backlash.
Karen Pollock, the chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said: ‘Dreyfus was a French artillery officer falsely accused of treason because he was Jewish.
‘Go figure how or why John McDonnell could make such an inappropriate comparison with the Assange case.
‘Outrageous, ridiculous and so deeply offensive.’