Assange's Final Appeal Marked by Supporters in Embarcadero Action

Photos: Leon Kunstenaar / Pro Bono Photo

(SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 21) - Supporters of Julian Assange gathered at Harry Bridges Plaza to support Assange in his fights to fight his extradition to the US where he is likely to be jailed for the rest of his life. His crime was to reveal the ugly secrets of US war crimes in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo.

The activists rallied, held a walking meditation, displayed banners, chalked the sidewalk and protested with flowers and music.

Journalists are being killed in Gaza in huge numbers. Journalists here in the U.S. need to speak out for press freedom. Many freedom for Julian Assange because they know more about Israel's apartheid and violence in Palestine due to the work of Assange's WikiLeaks.

They sang the song Francisco Herrera and Dennis Bernstein wrote "Free Julian Assange."

As we support Julian Assange we must condemn the system of dual standards as propagated by government mouthpieces, particularly the New York Times. As explained years ago by Noam Chomsky, there are the "worthy" victims, those who are persecuted by regimes we don't like such as Russia and China and perhaps the occasional dictator whose country we are about to invade, and then there are the "unworthy" victims, those oppressed and persecuted by the US or our proxies, of whom the less said about, the better.

For instance, the suffering and apparent murder inflicted on Aleksey Navalny, a courageous fighter for democratic values in Putin's dictatorship are widely reported on in an endless stream of propaganda, supportive reports, analyses and opinion columns. President Biden has met with his mother and imposed more sanctions on Russia. On the other hand, the years of imprisonment, and possible extradition to the US of Julian Assange where he, like Navalny, is likely to die in prison, gets scant and essentially no supportive press.

Assange committed the crime of exposing the war crimes committed by the US. He revealed details of US activities in Iraq and Afghanistan, including attacks on civilians. He also revealed details of the US treatment of prisoners in Guantánamo Bay and links to clandestine activities in the Middle East.

That is, he committed the crime of journalism against "wrong" country and is therefore an unworthy victim whose oppression can be ignored.

Actions to Support Julian Assange must continue to grow.