In conjunction with the opening of Julian Assange’s extradition hearing this date, an emergency demonstration is being planned at the United Kingdom Consulate at 800 Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis, Minnesota on February 7 (from 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm). Demonstrations are also currently scheduled for London, England; and Brisbane, Australia.
The following letter of support for Julian Assange and WikiLeaks will be available for signing and will be delivered. Any group in one of the other 27 cities with British Consulates (or UK Embassy in Washington DC) is free to copy our letter as a model:
February 7, 2011
Honorary United Kingdom Consul William R. McGrann:
Today Julian Assange stands before a court that will decide if he will be extradited to Sweden. Our concern is the same as that of Mr. Assange's lawyers - that this is just the first step in his being rendered illegally from Sweden to the United States. We hope and stress that the laws of the United Kingdom be upheld. Political rendition is unlawful in the United Kingdom, but there are several indications that extradition to Sweden would serve as false cover to effectively render him illegally to the United States.
The seven major points of law (see Guardian article: "WikiLeaks: Julian Assange 'faces execution or Guantanamo detention'") outlined by Assange's attorneys need to be fairly evaluated without any of the extra-legal political pressure from the United States that has, unfortunately, occurred during the Chilcot Inquiry or vis a vis Spanish authorities' inquiries into Iraq War crimes and the Bush Administration's use of torture and illegal renditions.
We note that United States' interference in other countries' justice systems, including the justice system of England, runs against the international wisdom of how we honor each other as nations.
On this day, Feb. 7, 2002, our country became a rogue state when President Bush dropped the protections of the Geneva Conventions for those we had taken prisoner. We stand in solidarity with WikiLeaks supporters in London this day and ask that you not collaborate in those and other crimes. We are thankful for the people who have revealed war crimes that have been committed. And, we are thankful that the secrets of war are made public to the people whose name is on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan - we the people of the United States.
We are ashamed as United States' citizens that our government has held back information about crimes committed in our names, only to have it marked "Secret" for "national security reasons." A nation of laws cannot be secure if its laws are broken with impunity. It is a wretched irony that our previous president openly brags that he ordered waterboarding and other torture, yet our current president, despite public claims that he is opposed to torture and favors the rule of law, is doing nothing to investigate and prosecute this hideous crime.
As longtime partners, it would cast a terrible pall on our relationship were the United Kingdom to participate directly or implicitly in the same crimes the United States has embraced, such as illegal rendition. Mr. Assange has bravely participated in a great public service to the United States and the world through his journalism. He has broken no U.S. laws. As a nation that lifts high the right of freedom of speech and the virtue of transparency of government, we advocate for the freedom of the press, including that of WikiLeaks. Exposing war crimes is no crime...NOT exposing war crimes is the crime.
Sincerely
(Please email tacklingtorture@gmail.com [1] if you'd like to sign this letter being delivered to the UK Consulate in Minneapolis or tailor the letter to the UK Consulate in your own city. Let us know if you're planning a letter delivery so we can add it to our list.)
*Here is a site with 28 UK embassy/consulate locations in the U.S. -- http://united-kingdom.visahq.com/embassy/United-States/ [2]. They are D.C., San Juan (PR), Chicago, San Francisco, Orlando, Miami, Denver, Glendale (AZ), Houston, Charlotte (Nebraska), Boston, Nashville, Salt Lake City, Atlanta, Anchorage, Pittsburgh, Seattle, New York, La Jolla (CA), Philadelphia, Dallas, Chesterfield (Missouri), Portland, Kansas City (Kansas), San Jose, Los Angeles, and New Orleans. [DC of course is the Embassy; all the others are Consulates.]
Details on Running List of Rallies on Feb 7th:
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LONDON
Feb 6/7 - INTERNATIONAL CALLOUT - "Free Manning! Free Assange! Free Speech!"
Flyer for event.....
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2011/01/472799.html [3]
WHERE - Giuseppe Conlon Hall
49 Mattison Rd. Harringey, N4 1BG
* Speakers/ Muscians to be announced Thursday Feb 3rd.
More info
releasejulianassange at gmail.com
Ph. 079 39290576
LONDON SAT. FEB 5th. - Public Meeting "Free Manning! Free Assange! Free Speech!"
Flyer for event.....
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2011/01/472799.html [3]
WHERE - Giuseppe Conlon Hall
49 Mattison Rd. Harringey, N4 1BG
* Speakers/ Muscians to be announced Thursday Feb 3rd.
WHEN - Saturday February 5th.
* 2 pm GATHERING in the Hall for socialising and networking.
(enter by the side gate)
Bring some food to share and BYO Drinx!
* There will be an info table like at @ Bookfair for your literature
* 3 pm PUBLIC MEETING
*Speakers *Music
*Film footage said by U.S. prosecution to be leaked by Bradley Manning!
http://www.collateralmurder.com/ [4]
published by WikiLeaks, narration by one of the U.S. marines on the ground after the U.S. helicopter gunship massacred unarmed Reuters journalists & the Iraqi family who came to tend to the wounded and an interview with Julian Assange from John Pilger's documentary The War You Don't See"
http://www.johnpilger.com/articles/the-war-you-dont-see [5]
* 5 pm Social back in the Hall.
* 7 pm Close and move to a local pub.
HOW TO GET THERE?
* Closest Tubes: Manor House and Turnpike Lane.
* Closest Overground: Harringay
* Buses along Green Lanes at Harringay include 29 bendy bus from Trafalgar Square. Get off at Green Lanes/ Mattison Rd. stop. Giuseppe Conlon Hall is the large church building halfway up Mattison Rd.
FREE ENTRY!
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COPENHAGEN
Start Date: Feb 7, 2011 04:00 PM
End Date: Feb 7, 2011 06:00 PM
Time zone: Europe/Amsterdam +01:00 CET
At: The City Hall Square 1
1550 Copenhagen, Denmark
Get Directions
3315 2014
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