{"id":2427,"date":"2019-12-03T21:34:50","date_gmt":"2019-12-03T21:34:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/catherinebrown.org\/?p=2427"},"modified":"2022-12-13T14:37:38","modified_gmt":"2022-12-13T14:37:38","slug":"free-the-truth-academics-and-journalists-speak-for-julian-assange-london-28th-november-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/catherinebrown.org\/free-the-truth-academics-and-journalists-speak-for-julian-assange-london-28th-november-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"Free The Truth: Academics and Journalists speak out for Julian Assange, London, 28th November 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Thursday 28th<\/sup> November, 2019, 5.50-8.30 pm in St Pancras New Church, Euston Road, London, UK<\/p>\n

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Organisers:<\/p>\n

Deepa Govindarajan Driver (University of Reading)<\/p>\n

Iain Munro (University of Newcastle)<\/p>\n

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The following account is based on the notes that I took at the event. To the best of my belief it is not materially incorrect, but I would welcome any corrections sent to catherine@catherinebrown.org.<\/p>\n

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It was written at the invitation of, and is published with the approval of, the event’s organiser, Deepa Driver (@deepa_driver).<\/p>\n

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The speeches were filmed by Gordan Dimmack, and may be viewed here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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The views expressed are the speakers\u2019 own. I reproduce them in order to express support for the event, for Julian Assange, and for Wikileaks.<\/p>\n

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For further materials concerning Julian Assange on this blog, please see my write-up of:<\/p>\n

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‘Imperialism on Trial’<\/a>, 11th and 12th June 2019, St James’s Church, Clerkenwell, London, with speakers including Vivienne Westwood (fashion designer), Chris Hedges (Pulitzer Prizewinner), Clare Daly (Irish TD and MEP), Ogmundur Jonasson (former Icelandic Interior Minister), and myself (on the subject of character assassination).<\/p>\n

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and<\/p>\n

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\u2018Imperialism on Trial’<\/a>, 1st May 2019, Bloomsbury Baptist Church, London, with speakers including Kristin Hrafnsson (the Editor-in-Chief of Wikileaks), Annie Machon (former-MI5 officer), and Peter Ford (former UK ambassador to Syria).<\/p>\n

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The speakers at ‘Free the Truth’, 28th November 2019, were Lowkey (rapper), Lissa Johnson (clinical psychologist), Fidel Narvaez (former Ecuadorian consul), Lisa Longstaff (of Women Against Rape), Mark Curtis (historian and journalist), Nils Melzer (UN Special Rapporteur on Torture), Craig Murray (former UK ambassador, now human rights activist), and John Pilger (investigative journalist).<\/p>\n

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Finally – it is in the nature of such events that the speakers are addressing audiences that tend to be familiar with the subject concerned. If you are less familiar with the case of Julian Assange – and especially if you have reservations about him – you might wish to start by reading the Summary of the Assange Case<\/strong> and sheet I might have supported Julian Assange, but\u2026.. <\/em><\/strong>,\u00a0<\/em>which are reproduced at the bottom of this post.<\/p>\n

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FREE THE TRUTH<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Approximately five hundred people attended.\u00a0Diana Stephenson played the piano as they assembled.\u00a0An exhibition of art in defence of Assange, capturing themes including collateral damage and the horrors of extradition, accompanied the event. The artists were\u00a0Anna Fauzy-Ackroyd<\/a>, May Ayres<\/a>, Daniel Fooks<\/a>, Peter Kennard<\/a> and Terence McGinity<\/a>. Graphic designer @SomersetBean produced the graphics on the campaign materials and the DEA postcard reproduced below.<\/p>\n

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DEEPA DRIVER<\/strong><\/p>\n

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[University lecturer, UCU trade union officer, organiser and comp\u00e8re]<\/p>\n

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Deepa opened the evening by emphasising the fact that Assange\u2019s case is not purely legal, but political. She enumerated the respects in which the case would, however decided, establish legal and political precedent: in relation to extraterritorial overreach, to state-sponsored torture, to the criminalisation of the job that many in the audience perform (journalism), to the right to free speech, and to the right to whistle-blow.<\/p>\n

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She urged:<\/p>\n

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