Catholic Workers Blockade London Court as Julian Assange Extradition Verdict Recited

by thecatholicworkerfarm Sat Feb 26, 2011 22:31

Photos from the Assange Extradition Hearing - Woolwich Crown Court, Belmarsh

Ciaron and Roland Blockading the Gate

Ciaron and Roland Dragged away from the Gate

Ciaron Speaks to Reporters

Vigil for Bradley Manning, Julian Assange & Free Speech

by Ciaron - Giuseppe Conlon House, London Catholic Worker Sun Feb 27, 2011 08:54 London, England

Hi Folks,

Find attached some photos of our action (taken by Maria of CW Farmhouse) as Roland and I blockaded Woolwich Courts/London following the recital of Julian Assange's extradition verdict by the magistrate (author!?? author!???).

We made our move immediately after Julian, who we could see at distance in the courtyard, had finished his press conference. We knelt in front of the then raised boom gate leading into the courtyard. We held signs "Free Bradley Manning! Free Julian Assange! End the War!" and the Phil Berrigan quote "If they come for the innocent without stepping over your body, Cursed be your religion and your life!"

We were approached immeidiatey by the senior poice officer guarding the gate who demanded we move. We refused. Sue, through the megaphone at the vigil space, began to announce our action to fellow vigilers and the world's media who were still some 40 metres behind us.

The senior officer returned promptly with a man in civvies who bent over toward me and demanded we leave. His laminated i.d. badge was literally and lightly swinging from his neck and hitting me in the face as he did so.

To buy some time for the media to cop on and take up position I said, "Well who are you?"
He told me.
To buy some more time, I responded, "I want to see some i.d.?"
He actually held his laminated card still in front of my face before they all realised I was taking the piss.
By this time the media had surrounded us and they began dragging us.

Despite, what Janet Jackson would refer to as, a "wardrobe malfunction" where my bare butt was momentaily exposed to the world's media (my punk studded belt wasn't doing its job), the cops were being pretty careful under such great scrutiny. Best responses to the bare butt photo this far......
"Cops dack Ciaron!: Genny, Wales.
"Pogue Mahone" Jimmy ex-Dub, Brisbane

The cops dragging me stopped to rest after a couple of yards. We held up our signs through their legs and I kept speaking to the issues at hand - the ongoing torture of Bradley Manning, the persecution of Julian Assange, the war, the journalist victims in in the footage Manning is accused of releasing.
The cops ordered me to move again.
I asked if I was under arrest?
They said no.
I said, well I'm not moving!

The vehicle carrying Julian Assange stopped and someone got out to see if we were ok. The police ordered them back into the vehicle and to move immeidately.

They dragged me some more until the entrance to the court was clear and dumped me in the roadway with heaps of media, so were now effectively blockading the entrance to Catgory A Belmarsh Prison. Fine by me! Did some more speaking and that was it.

Photos and footage of the action have appeared in the Washington Post, Yahoo News, Associated Press, Forbes, and the Times of India Lots of folks around the globe have made contact wondering if we are ok.
Roland and I are fine. We have known each other for 28 years and have been dragged through various jails in various jurisdictions over that time.

Hopefully our small action gave Julian, and a lot of you, a lift and sends out a message that there are still folks resisting this war.

Stay staunch
Keep the faith
Ciaron
Giuseppe Conlon House, London

by Attacks on Assange - Counterpunch Mon Feb 28, 2011 19:39

The Guardian's Sleazeball Hacks and Plagiarists
Cable Cooking and the War on Assange

By ISRAEL SHAMIR

The latest chapter in the quest for open government finds our embattled knight holed up within the grey brick Georgian walls of Ellingham Hall while the dark forces outside attempt a disorderly checkmate. The British courts have long debated whether to pack Julian Assange off to the star spangled torture chambers of Guantanamo, but have finally settled on simply extraditing him to the man-eating Nordic Amazons of Sweden, pending appeal. Meanwhile the chessboard has become crowded with ex-employees, ex-lovers, and ex-friends who compete among themselves to cast mud upon his memory. The same newspapers he enriched with headline stories gleefully prepare his epitaph, for no good deed goes unpunished among the masters of discourse. This is a very lonely time for our trusting hero, as yesterday’s oaths are traded for cold cash, and intimate confidences are betrayed.

Daniel Domscheit-Berg has published a sort of book, a breathless “Assange in robe and slippers” tale of the kind usually written by former valets bearing a grudge. The author, a man whose only claim to fame is a short period as an employee of Assange, claims that Assange mistreated his cat and ate up all the candy. Julian took him up after ten years on the dole, and he immediately pocketed Julian’s lifework and ran away with it because… you guessed it, it would be safer in his hands. He delivered all Wikileaks emails and backups into the hands of the enemy and now he sits like a spider in his shiny new shop inviting trustful potential leakers into his parlour.

Article continued.....
http://www.counterpunch.org/shamir02252011.html

by Ciaron Wed Mar 02, 2011 06:42

LINK- Failure of English Left & @ scene in relation to state persecution of WikLeaks Assange

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2011/02/474909.html?c=on...65521

by WikiLeaks tribe Thu Mar 03, 2011 07:52

'Aiding the enemy' among 22 new charges brought against US soldier held in solitary confinement
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/03/bradley-man...nalty