I learnt the previous evening that British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson was to be in Dublin last Friday for Brexit border talks with Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney. While Mayor of London, Boris Johnson spent over 11 million quid encircling the Ecuadorian embassy with police 24/7 where Julian Assange has been offered political asylum [to protect him] from the U.S. government.
As Foreign Minister Boris is presently denying Julian safe passage to Ecuador and continuing what will be on December 7th seven years of ongoing detention without charge of the founder of WikiLeaks. Boris is caught on a zip line of serving U.S. requests to contain Assange. In all likelihood if Julian should step outside of the embassy he will be arrested by British police for breaking bail and held while the U.S. puts in an extradition request.
Ciaron O’Reilly with friend and banner in Dublin Solidarity with Julian Assange Monday 13/11/2017
At 8.30 am Friday morning I got word that Boris was in a meeting at Iveagh House, Dept of Foreign Affairs building since 8 am. I grabbed my “Free Assange” banner and hoofed it in from where I was staying. On arrival, the media were all inside the building, there was a line of limos and about four Irish Special Branch and one uniformed Garda on the outside of the building. Assorted British security and bureaucrats were inside. Fortuitously I took position right next to Boris’s limo and unfurled my banner. Over the next hour I maintained a solo vigil as Special Branch officers took it in turns to persuade me to move.
I informed them that my conscience was telling me to stay put even at the risk of arrest. I assured them although I am a big unit, I am a pacifist and I would not be moving toward Mr Johnson. I also stated I would be yelling out some demands, so not to be startled
by that turn of events. They didn’t look like the type to be startled too easy. A split second before Johnson emerged from the building, I was joined by the indefatigable Colm Roddy.
From about five feet distance, I yelled out. “Mr Johnson (he turned and looked at me) you have detained Julian Assange for 7 years without charge (the Special Branch moved on us). The UN has ruled this illegal arbitrary detention. Do the right thing and grant Julian safe passage to Ecuador (Special Branch circle getting tighter) …..and stop helping the Saudis bomb Yemen while you’re at it!
Meanwhile, in London Italian le Rublica journalist has been taking the Crown Prosecution Services to court revealing that the whole extradition thang has been a British stich up as they directed the Swedes not to come to London to interview Julian. Meanwhile in 44 other cases during the same period, Swedish investigators came to England to investigate cases and do interviews
Read the Wise Up Action report here: http://tinyurl.com/ybvdwjq3
Liberal anti-Assange hysteria seems to be breaking out in the U.S. over direct message tweets between WikiLeaks and Donald Trump Jr. This interview on The Intercept with Glenn Greenwald is worth listening to before running to join the latest lynch mob.
Interview preamble by Jeremy Scahill begins on the 59th minute of the show (link below)
Ciaron O’Reilly
Blog http://ciaron.wordpress.com
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