PARIS, October 1 – Novosti, Anastasia Ivanova. A demonstration of “yellow vests” in support of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is taking place in Paris, a Novosti correspondent reports.
The demonstration began after 14:30 local time (15:30 Moscow time) from Birzhevaya Square. It is held in support of freedom of speech and against the false information spread by the French media. Slogans are also heard at the rally – for the resignation of French President Emmanuel Macron, for France’s withdrawal from NATO, the EU and the eurozone, and for stopping arms supplies to Ukraine.
“We are gathering under the windows of the AFP agency and the BFMTV channel to show them that we condemn all the lies they are spreading and express our support for the journalist Julian Assange. He has published many government documents, including those concerning the Clinton family, Biden and Macron. We hope that thanks to public support, the Assange case will be able to move forward,” one of the participants in the rally, who came with a banner reading “Julian Assange is a real journalist,” told the agency.
The French gathered for the action are also chanting: “Macron – we don’t want war!”
In 2010, the Swedish authorities accused Assange of sexual harassment and rape, which is why he hid in the Ecuadorian embassy in London from June 2012. On the morning of April 11, 2019, he was detained at the request of Washington. Shortly thereafter, US authorities charged Assange with 17 counts of violating the law on espionage and disclosure of classified information.
Earlier, WikiLeaks reported that British Home Secretary Priti Patel approved Assange’s extradition to the United States, where he faces 175 years in prison. The organization called the decision a “dark day” for the freedom of speech issue.
