Melbourne solidarity for Julian Assange

Around 200 people turned out in the Melbourne rain to show solidarity for Julian Assange (1st July 2012) at a rally organized by Wikileaks Australian Citizens Alliance/ The crowd heard from a range of speakers including Greens MP Adam Bandt, SEP Melbourne by-election candidate Patrick O’Connor, Wikileaks co-founder Daniel Mathews, human rights lawyers Lizzie O’Shea and Blue King Brown lead singer Natalie Pa’apa’a. A live performance also was given by Rap News of “A News Hope”. Indigenous activist Robbie Thorpe also spoke.

Robbie Thorpe, Indigenous activist opened proceedings by highlighting that the struggle for Assange was the struggle for truth, the same struggle Australian Indigenous people were fighting as they struggled to overcome the lies upon which their dispossession has been made.

	The importance of Daniel Mathews, one of the founders of Wikileaks, speaking was to remind that us that Wikileaks is an important journalistics venture and it is more than a one man outfit. Julian Assange is being targeted as an individual but it it is the work of Wikileaks in exposing the war crimes of the U.S. that is is the real target. Read “Wikileaks and history” speech here
	Natalie :Pa’apa’a from Blue King Brown spoke commented in her speech on how the struggle for global justice would continue as long as capitalism continued and the defence of Wikileaks was an important part of this struggle. She saw her involvement in this struggle as her responsibility as a citizen of earth.Watch speech here
	Human rights lawyer Lizzie O’Shea explained in her speech that anyone who doubted that the U.S. planned to put Assange on trail was a foold. She went on to discuss the appalling human rights record of the U.S. in terms of secret prisons, military trials and torture. Read speech here
	Despite technical difficulties Robert Forster and the Rap News team gave a live performance of the “A News Hope” which saw a face off between Rupert Murdoch as the Emperor from Star Wars versus the news rebel Julian Assange. Much to the relief of the crowd at the end of news bulletin Julian was teleported to Ecuador! Youtube version of News Hope
	Federal Member for Melbourne Adam Bandt from the Greens spoke stating that the Federal ALP Government needed to do more to protect the rights of Julian Assnge as an Australian citizen. Watch speech here

Patrick O’Connor Socialist Equality Party (SEP) candidate in the by election in the state seat of Melbourne spoke locating the attacks on the rights of Julian Assange within the context of the global assault occurring on the rights of the working class. This assault was related to the capitalist crisis that began in 2008 which meant that States could no longer satisfy the dictates of finance capital within a parliamentary democracy framework. This dynamic was occurring in Greece, Canada, the U.S.A. and elsewhere. As a result the fight for Julian Assange’s rights was indistinguishable from the fight against the profit system itself. Patrick pointed out the inconsistency of the Greens in criticizing the Government’s actions on Assange but using their votes to keep them in power. He also pointed out the Greens supported recent changes to the Extradition Act which meant that people could now be extradited for political offences. Ecuador in contrast does not allow this. Patrick also highlighted that the role of the Gillard ALP is not one of a passive bystander who is not doing enough to assist but that they are a playing a key role in the persecution of Assange. In addition to changing the Extradition Act, they have been working with the U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies and Gillard has publically labeled the actions of Assange and Wikileaks as illegal. She has even gone as far as stating that Assange has nothing to fear from extradition to the U.S. and once there he will be protected by all the “procedural fairness’ guaranteed under the U.S. constitution! The same constitution that apparently allows indefinite detention without charge, torture and even assination on the orders of the President anywhere in the world. Thus the fight for Assange is also a fight against the ALP government. Read a statement by Patrick O’Connor here on Assange or watch Patrick speak at the rally here

The rally was in some ways a lackluster affair. The fact the numbers were so low reflects a lack of comprehension by many Australians that what is at stake in the case of Assange is the future of all our democratic rights. If the Australian, British, U.S and Swedish governments succeed in having Julian sent to the U.S. to face espionage charges then it will signify that we are truly living under police state conditions and any resistance to imperialism and capitalism will be treated in the harshest way possible. The madness of the “War on Terror” gulags, torture, political trials, assinations etc which have been used extensively in the Middle East and Central Asia are now going to be used against dissenters at home. A struggle for Assange needs to be a struggle against the whole political and economic system and for internationalism, socialism and democracy.

Brisbane #JA41 Assange Birthday Vigil

In another Assange solidarity action a small number of people gathered in Brisbane at a vigil marking Julian Assange's 41st birthday on July 3rd, 2012, corner Grey and Melbourne streets, South Brisbane station. It was on the same day the Australian Government announced another death of an Australian soldier in Afghanistan.