Free Bradley Manning! Free Julian Assange! Free Speech! End the Wars!

Anti-war solidarity vigil at the High Court

See also this indymedia feature.

As the founder and editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange’s fate is inextricably tied up with that of Bradley Manning. Bradley Manning was tortured for ten months by the US in the hope that he would testify against Assange. This failed and now a US Grand Jury is hearing witnesses on the WikiLeaks disclosures. Witnesses who refuse to testify face prison. Meanwhile, in London, Julian Assange faces extradition to Sweden on allegations of sexual crimes. If he is extradited to Sweden, he will likely be extradited from there to the US over the WikiLeaks disclosures. Read about the character assassination of Assange, disinformation and his trial by media in Sweden in this blog post.

London Catholic Worker and friends have re-enacted the 1965 Bob Dylan music video and film clip: Subterranean Homesick Blues to get the message out about Assange’s hearing. This video has now been withdrawn but you can see an updated version: “Protect Assange” here:

Support Julian Assange by publicising or attending the vigil outside the High Court on the days of his Appeal: Tuesday 12 and Wednesday 13 July, from 9am. More information here.

Protest in Dublin

There will also be a protest in Dublin on Tuesday 12 July, 4.30 – 6pm in solidarity with Julian Assange outside the British Embassy, Merrion Rd. Dublin 4. For more info: contact Diarmuid on 0876 855 967.

Protest at attempted extradition of Julian Assange on spurious grounds from Britain to Sweden.
Julian Assange is accused by the USA of being responsible for the release of thousands of secret documents on to the internet. These documents exposed a lot of the dirty connections between various governments and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and also exposed US atrocities in Iraq. The USA are currently holding a member of their armed forces in jail and have charged him with releasing those documents. Then an allegation of improper sexual conduct in Sweden emerged against Assange which the police turned into a rape accusation. Assange has stated he is willing to face Swedish police questioning in Britain but is fighting extradition to Sweden where he fears further extradition to the USA where government appointees have already accused him of spying and have called for the leaks to be stopped (some public figures have called for his execution).

For freedom of information and against war crimes: protect the whistleblowers!