Around one hundred people braved the cold to stand outside the British consulate in Manhattan, New York, on Monday to demand that Julian Assange not be extradited from Britain to the US. The event was organized by NYC Free Assange, CODEPINK, and the Socialist Action Party, among other organizations.
The rally was in response to the UK High Court holding a two-day public hearing about the fate of Assange, which supporters saw as a “final chance” to prevent Assange’s extradition to the United States. Assange could face a 175-year prison sentence if extradited and then convicted.
Demonstrators included speakers from various ideologies and political parties. One sentiment shared by many speakers was opposition to the Democratic and Republican Parties because of Donald Trump and Joe Biden’s handling this matter in the same way. Several candidates for office in New York also attended.
Independent candidate for the 2024 Senate election in New York, Diane Sare, stated that Assange was a person who exercised his right to freedom of speech and emphasized the importance of restoring free speech and debate in the country. View the full interview with independent Senate candidate Diane Sare and independent Congressional candidate Jose Vega below:
The rally lasted for around an hour. However, the case for Assange continues and will be a test of unity for many groups fighting to keep him away from extradition.
Nathan S. is a student writer with an interest in politics, often covering the activities of 2024 presidential candidates across all parties. Readers of Independent Political Report can find more of his work on his Substack. This article has been edited for formatting with the author’s permission by Independent Political Report.
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