02-05-19 05:32:00,
French protesters, many donning yellow vests, took a bus across the English Channel to protest outside of Julian Assange’s Thursday extradition hearing in London, according to Bloomberg.
Arriving just one day after chaotic May Day clashes with Paris police, the protesters highlighted the growing movement of activists who voicing concern as UK courts gear up to consider a US extradition request for the WikiLeaks founder.
“We came here to show support because Assange represents
part of the information revolution,” said 39-year-old French protester Alice Eff, who said she arrived on an 80-seat bus with other Assange supporters.
WikiLeaks’ release of hundreds of thousands of classified
cables, and war logs from Afghanistan and Iraq had struck a
chord with the movement, she said outside Westminster
Magistrates Court, though there was no formal connection with
the WikiLeaks organization.
American authorities are pursuing extradition so Assange
can face trial on accusations that he conspired with ex-Army
analyst Chelsea Manning to illegally download classified
government material. Eff said she was concerned that the
existing U.S. charge against Assange could be further broadened. –Bloomberg
There is also a support truck going round the block and driving past the court #Assange #JulianAssange pic.twitter.com/rRuuvo1jIw
— Bruce Thain (@TheBruceThain) May 2, 2019
“We are protesting in France in order to have more democracy and to have more transparency from the government. And that’s what Julian Assange has been fighting for,” one yellow vest protester named Vincent told Sputnik News. “So for us it was obvious to come here and to support him to, just tell him that he is not alone, that there are like hundred thousands of people in France at least and I guess all [over] the world, probably millions, that consider him as a hero for doing what he has done, to sacrifice his own life and his own freedom in order to put out in the public confidential information that… yeah, release critical information that is important for the public to know.”