If you witnessed a war crime, what would you do? Since the US led capture of Julian Assange from the Ecuadorian Embassy into the UK’s Belmarsh prison, he has served four torturous years of detainment. Julian’s family, their international team of lawyers along with a growing number of leaders, scholars, concerned citizens – and especially the Iraqi family members of the murdered, have watched on in horror.
Hashtag #Free Julian Assange is now 13 years old. Joe Biden has just cancelled his trip to Sydney, however the demand for Joe Biden to release Julian Assange still stands. The planned events for the people by the people will still go ahead, and on the 24th May 2023, it’s the peoples’ chance to DEMAND the US free Julian Assange!
This has to be the last hurrah if not a celebration of Julian Assange’s release from the US’ vendetta against Julian and their own First Amendment – Freedom of Speech!
The morning will pivot around highly influential speakers from the epicentre of the Free Julian Assange campaign (including & especially his family), amid politically astute performance artists & symbolic imagery in a collective effort to share the contagious enthusiasm of people-power as the only option for just governance.
The action not only provides us with clear instructions to secure Julian’s freedom. It’s a chance to network and brainstorm with the finest minds on the planet on how to challenge an embittered system that continues to go after anyone that threatens its strong hold.
If you haven’t yet publicly supported Julian and by default our right to hold to account public servants for any misconduct, then come to this historical event.
As most know there’s been ‘movement at the station’. Gratitude has been felt globally for our Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese’s public statements of late. The ‘Enough is Enough’ phrase has been an oasis in a desert, in contrast to the previous 13 years of Prime Ministerial silence. Noting also, the recent meeting of several MP’s with the US ambassador in Canberra, and Albanese’s controversial quote of ‘quiet diplomacy’ that’s been echoed throughout Labor’s camp right down to the local level. It’s enough to give you a glimpse of hope …
Since the US led capture of Julian from the Ecuadorian Embassy into the UK’s Belmarsh prison, he has served four torturous years of detainment. Julian’s family, their international team of lawyers along with a growing number of leaders and constituents of countless organisations, scholars, concerned citizens – and especially the Iraqi family members of the murdered, have watched on in horror. If there is a silver lining to the trial of Julian Assange, it is that every immoral and illegal manoeuvre against him has been placed under a giant ethical microscope. It’s been diligently dissected to reveal an unfathomable volume of seemingly insurmountable corruption. Inspiring even the least political of humans to become political.
It was the mainstream media’s ‘job’ to sell the Iraq invasion, then to run relentless smear campaigns against Julian Assange. After the initial onslaught from the mainstream media that mirrored the increasingly tight lipped government. The tabloids, in light of the growing tsunami of reputable and independent media has exposed the truly destructive nature of their deception. The world’s top investigative journalists have mountains of irrefutable facts and chilling evidence of the states malfeasance. This is why it looks like a game of hot potato when it comes to question time in parliament.
As for Peter Dutton finally sticking up for Julian Assange, it immediately reminds us of the Department of Defence’s current case against David McBride. Considering the Assange team has passionately united with team McBride on the global stage, surely Dutton will support his case being dropped as well?
If the mainstream consensus is that Chelsea Manning was a lesson of what not to do in disclosing war crimes, then McBride would surely be the shining example of what should be done. Having used the correct departmental avenues to report corruption and war crimes, McBride was well within his right to go to the media once those avenues failed. This report later became known as the ‘Afghan files’. These files were the reason the historical raids on the ABC occurred and McBride was arrested. Like McBride says in an interview with Michael West, putting him in jail is an absolute waste, he’s offered to return to Department of Defence to help them clean it up. It’s bewildering why they’re not taking him up on that offer? He should be awarded the Defence Ministerial’s portfolio for his moral bravery!
Fortunately, the lack of support for cases like McBride, Assange and multiple cases like theirs has always hung by the thread of ignorance in an information & media rich world. Enter the arts; Julian Assange’s Brother & Father, Gabriel & John Shipton, not only produced the film on ABC ‘Ithaka’, they’ve toured the world with screenings followed by talks and intimate Q & A time with the audience. To hear Mr Shipton share his thoughtful and philosophical deductions of this alarming era, is moving to say the least. Not only extending on the information about his son’s case he delivers historical teachings in relation to Julian being emblematic of a broken system and initiates discussions on how we must restore integrity. With faith in humanity he skilfully hands over the baton to his audience. The injustice just doesn’t sit right in our hearts, it creates a hunger to seek justice, Mr Shipton sincerely expresses. To this end, people must stand in solidarity with whistle blowers, we must harness this courage to speak up, isn’t this what we are teaching our children?
Assange was yet another astutely bright mind on the scene, like Edward Snowden who challenged the US’s abuse of surveillance laws. Minds with global integrity in their sights. Assange created the anonymous drop-box known as WikiLeaks. It allowed anyone to safely expose their concerns on corruption. The most notable publication of Wikileaks, coordinated with multiple news corporations was the irrefutable war crimes perpetrated by the US alliance in Afghanistan & Iraq. Comparably, Aaron Swartz, was also a bright young mind with similar technical nouse who copped the full force of the law when he challenged corporate greed. Additionally he tried to make legal processes highly accessible for the public to oppose invasive new laws. Both Julian and Aaron were simply proactive people with big bleeding hearts. They both had exceptional information technology skills, and an all too rare visionary compassion. Ultimately enabling them to maximise global reach for actions. This undermined the stronghold of powerful entities, turning formidable forces against both Assange and Swartz in what is being unveiled as not only a gross abuse of the judiciary system, but of the spirit of law itself. The authority’s hunt devastatingly led to the death of Swartz. ‘The internet’s own Boy’ Free to watch on YouTube
Returning to the glimpse of hope mentioned earlier, it feels like the famous quote: ‘hope is a very dangerous thing’. With emotions naturally high, people who fight for Assange, fight for him like he’s their brother. Most of us, with the cognitive ability for empathy would publish those documents, it is undeniably a moral obligation. We should not be frightened to speak up and are consequently forced to call his actions brave.
So, to Julian’s captors, be warned, this is your last chance for redemption!
With the millions of supporters in the world, there is still a massive untouched reserve of ‘new Assangers’ out there! Julian is a modern day William Wallace and we are all witnessing his slow assassination in progress. However, this potential reserve of Assangers that surround us are Netflixers! Junkies, binging on an Amazonian amount of entertainment!
Traditionally not documentary viewers. All it takes is just one of the hundreds of the award winning screen writer/directors to release a powerful film. Ava DuVernay would be perfect! Imagine an accurately dramatised film of Julian Assange from a mother’s point of view, interwoven with an Iraqi family’story of loss? DuVernay’s film ‘When they see us’ moved mountains. Almost immediately after she released this four-part series, the true story about the ‘Central Park Five’, which was another legal crime of the century, heads immediately began to roll! There was an outpouring of horror and support as the film went absolutely viral!
So who exactly are these ‘powers that be’ that are holding Julian Assange hostage?
Well … that’s easy! If you’re an investigative journalist! Luckily, Johnny Harris has put together a neat little entertaining package on his YouTube channel. He does a deep dive on which companies got filthy rich from the Afghanistan war. I dare say he’ll be in the process of stitching together an analysis for Iraq. He shows us a list of about 40 members of congress who have shares in said companies. These members also have the rubber stamp power to approve wars. It is a classic case of revolving doors with a horrific amount of bloodshed on their hands. Saying this, when it comes to getting the Australian public to get behind AUKUS with no acknowledgement of the infamous Bush, Blair and Howard trio’s illegal and deadly cooperation 20 years earlier, it’s a ludicrous ask. It begs the question; Are we in a domestically abusive relationship with the US? If it has to be a quiet diplomacy to request Julian Assange’s release then YES it’s coercive control and the world is wising up!
It has been the barbaric reaction of the state to Julian Assange, the late Aaron Swartz, Edward Snowden, Chelsea Manning and David McBride, Dan Duggan, Richard Boyle, Violet Coco – to name just a few, that’s proved to the world just how bent the system is. Are you’re tired of the political semantics? Dare them to answer this one simple question: “Given the facts – In 2010, what would you have done if you were in Manning and Assange’s shoes?”
Tag, your it now!
It’s now you the reader that has a responsibly to act!
Educate yourself, visit www.assangecampaign.org.au , buy a t-shirt, make a t-shirt and wear the t-shirt! Get a #FREEASSANGE bumper sticker. Learn about Duggan, McBride & Boyle and support their campaigns. Campaign for Edward Snowden to be pardoned. Make some well-honed art to hit home, initiate the conversations, sign petitions and learn about your MP’s. Watch ‘Ithaka’ and Kym Staton’s ‘Free the Truth (release date, very soon!). As a democracy it is our job to guide our politicians. Get back to the round table to guide our public servants. After all, our government is just one giant committee with fancier lamingtons.
For more on this topic, P&I recommends:
Wye Von
Northern Rivers Assange team
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