Lindsey German: why we defend Wikileaks

Hundreds of people packed into London's Conway Hall on Monday to hear Tariq Ali, Tony Benn, Jemima Khan and Lindsey German talk about Wikileaks and the attacks on it. The rally was organised by Stop the War Coalition, whose convenor Lindsey German speaks here:



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Urgent call for solidarity with arrested Cairo activists

This urgent message comes from the solidarity campaign for activists arrested by the Egyptian authorities. The important background here is the appalling massacre, resulting in an estimated 21 deaths, in Alexandria on New Year's Eve (when a church was bombed).

Both resistance and repression have continued in the few days since then. Eight activists in Cairo are now arrested and face a hurried trial tomorrow morning.

'Instead of the Egyptian Minister of Interior, 8 activists brought to trial tomorrow for expressing solidarity with Coptic citizens

Eight young activists were arrested Tuesday the 4th of January 2011 from a solidarity gathering in Shubra [a district of Cairo]. For hours, lawyers and activists gathered yesterday in front of the North Cairo prosecution to demand the release of their colleagues.

The eight activists were made to sign an acknowledgement today of their referral to an urgent trial tomorrow morning in the Rod El Farag court of demeanor, a procedure recently used by authorities against democracy activists Ahmed Doma (Justice and Freedom movement – Cairo) and Hassan Mostafa (Hashd movement – Alexandria) both of whom received a prison sentence of one month.

The eight activists were arrested from a solidarity gathering in Shubra, a neighborhood with Coptic majority, in the early hours of the 4th of January after being encircled by thousands of anti riot police and after violent clashes with police that resulted in several injured. Before the arrest the police would check the names of the protestors, permit the Copts to leave and keep who they believed were Muslim protestors inside the police cordon.

The violence against the solidarity movement following the massacre of the New Years' eve in Alexandria, which left an estimate of 21 dead, is an attack against several unified actions between Coptic and Muslim youth, which developed within the past days.

As an example of the violence that took place in several locations since the beginning of 2011, watch this:



Charges facing activists include: Gathering, shouting, contempt of the constitution and law, destruction of public property, attack on 15 antiriot file and rank police, 4 officers, destruction of 11 police trucks, 9 private cars, two microbuses, two police pick ups as well as the pavement!

Based on the charges facing the 8 activists, which do not need a comment regarding their absurdity, we can foresee that tomorrow's trial is meant as a harassment of the solidarity activists, who were planning, with hundred others, to attend the Coptic Christmas Mass tomorrow expressing their support of Egyptian Coptic citizens and demanding the trial of those responsible for the Alexandria massacre: Minister of Interior Habib el Adly, security director of Alexandria as well as demanding a unified law for places of prayer.

Several calls have been released for a gathering tomorrow in front of the court house demanding the release of the activists. Similar violence can be foreseen.'

Urgent pressure is needed with the Public Prosecutor and the President of the republic for the immediate release of the activists and an investigation of the New Year's crime in Alexandria.

President of the Republic
Muhammad Hosni Mubarak
President of the Arab Republic of Egypt
Fax: +202 390 1998
E-mail: webmaster@presidency.gov.eg

Egyptian Public Prosecutor
Counsellor Abdel Meguid Mahmoud Abdel Meguid
Dar al-Qadha al-'Ali
Ramses Street
Cairo, Egypt
Via facsimile: + 20 2 2577 4716

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David Frost interviews Julian Assange

Related posts:

Support Wikileaks: Stop Assange Extradition
A comment on Wikileaks, Assange and Pilger
Wikileaks cables - what they reveal about US foreign policy and women

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A comment on Wikileaks, Assange and Pilger

John Pilger

Here's a comment of mine from a Liberal Conspiracy thread, where I respond to a dreadful, ill-tempered and badly-written article attacking this John Pilger article.

'This is an awful piece and indicates the disorientation of those from left/liberal backgrounds who have joined in the attacks on Assange. Pilger wrote a perceptive, principled and serious piece, which deserves a much more thoughtful and honest response.

It is absolutely reasonable to criticise those feminists who have got this so wrong. That isn’t an attack on feminism. Left-wingers like Pilger and Michael Moore have quite correctly located this issue in its proper context, i.e. the attacks on Wikileaks and freedom of information by a number of Western states (most significantly the US) with a vested interest in hiding the crimes of the ‘war on terror’.

None of us know what Assange did or didn’t do in Sweden. But not only is someone innocent until proven guilty after they have been charged, it’s worth recalling that Assange hasn’t been charged and there is no evidence in the public domain to support the allegations.

Everyone who regards themselves as remotely liberal, left-wing or progressive should unequivoically defend Wikileaks from attacks on the site’s ability to function freely, and oppose the violation of Assange’s human rights. They should also avoid smearing either Assange himself or those like Pilger who oppose the appalling treatment of him.

It’s got nothing to do with assuming the worst of those who allege rape or with treating rape lightly. It has nothing to do with ‘standing shoulder to shoulder with misogynists and conspiracy theorists’. Such silly and personalised abuse – a poor substitute for reasoned argument and engagement with the facts – is unacceptable.

I’m not aware of anyone on the left or in the anti-war movement vilifying the complainants or reinforcing sexist assumptions. Pilger certainly doesn’t do it in his article. The various signatories to a recent letter to the Guardian opposing the attacks on Wikileaks don’t do it. There may be misogynistic idiots on the internet doing it, but it is dishonest to tarnish the reputations of others by falsely associating them with such nonsense.'

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John Pilger warned that Julian Assange and Wikileaks would be smeared

There's a very good John Pilger article in this week's New Statesman, praising Julian Assange and Wikileaks. Pilger perceptively, perhaps even presciently, noted the US authorities' determination to discredit Assange:

'There is understandably hysteria on high, with demands that the WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, be "hunted down" and "rendered".

In Washington, I interviewed a senior official in the defence department and asked: "Can you give a guarantee that the editors of WikiLeaks and the editor-in-chief, who is not American, will not be subjected to the kind of manhunt that we read about in the media?" He replied: "It's not my position to give guarantees on anything."
He referred me to the "ongoing criminal investigation" of a US soldier, Bradley Manning, an alleged whistleblower. In a nation that claims its constitution protects truth-tellers, the Obama administration is pursuing and prosecuting more whistleblowers than any of its modern predecessors.

A Pentagon document states bluntly that US intelligence intends to "fatally marginalise" WikiLeaks. The preferred tactic is smear, with corporate journalists ever ready to play their part.'

Pilger also comments on broader issues around the political role of journalism:

'The WikiLeaks revelations shame the dominant section of journalism, devoted merely to taking down what cynical and malign power tells it. This is state stenography, not journalism.

Look on the WikiLeaks site and read a Ministry of Defence document that describes the "threat" of real journalism. And so it should be a threat. Having skilfully published the WikiLeaks exposé of a fraudulent war, the Guardian should now give its most powerful and unreserved editorial support to the protection of Assange and his colleagues, whose truth-telling is as important as any in my lifetime.'


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Why have leading activists had their Facebook accounts wiped out?

This comes via The Sauce in the early hours of this morning. It is a very worrying and sinister development.

'Personal Facebook accounts for Stop the War officer Andrew Burgin and ULU president elect Clare Solomon have tonight disappeared.

Both political activists were administrators for the group "Can't Pay Won't Pay - Solidarity with the people of Greece" which approaches 15,000 members.

Clare, who has 2,000 friends on the site, said: "I am pretty freaked out. Mine and Andrew's accounts disappeared simultaneously we think while a third administrator can also no longer be found."

Within the last few hours a new Facebook group has been set up demanding: "We want the reactivation of the accounts of Clare Solomon and Andrew Burgin."

The site says: "On 6th May facebook administrators suspended suddenly the accounts of the two basic admins of the group: 'Can't Pay, Won't Pay: Solidarity with the people of Greece'. Strangely, this happened after the large recognition that the particular group gained the past few days.

"We believe that this action is against basic democratic values such as freedom of expression and speech and therefore we demand the reactivation of these two accounts. Solidarity with the admins of the Greek solidarity group! Join now!"

The group was set up less than a week ago and has grown rapidly amid reports of the Greek financial crisis, bailout plans and bank workers being killed in a fire.

The original Greek solidarity site states: "Solidarity with the People of Greece. Send support to the Greek workers fighting IMF cuts.

"Working people in Greece are showing the way forward to people here and across Europe. We send them our congratulations and support. Another system is possible.

"International capital has targeted Greece as its next victim. Hedge funds have pushed the interest on Greek government bonds to close to 14 per cent.

"Just as bankers Goldman Sachs made billions betting on a default in the sub-prime housing market in the USA so now these same predators circle Greece expecting to make similar obscene sums off the backs of the people of that country."'

Jeremy Corbyn MP: we can still stop Digital Economy Bill

Also see Laurie Penny's 'The Digital Economy Bill has betrayed the young'.

Campaigns to stop criminalising the innocent

I've previously reported photographers' campaign against the daft 'anti-terror' legislation that effectively makes it illegal to photograph police officers. Photographers are increasingly treated with suspicion and distrust by the authorities.

They have an imaginative protest - a 'mass photo gathering' - lined up for Saturday. You can learn more at their impressive website (it's helped by - as might be expected - good use of pictures).

I've also blogged recently on the campaign to end detention of asylum seeking children. On the campaign's website there's an inspiring example of someone taking the initiative to raise the profile of this important issue: 'Bringing the gift of literature to the children of Yarl's Wood'.

We are not terrorists! 365 photographers sign open letter

365 photographers have signed a letter, published in the Sunday Telegraph, criticising the police's targeting of photographers under 'anti-terror' legislation. The letter begins: 'As professional and amateur photographers, we are deeply concerned about the treatment of those taking pictures in public places. Photographers using equipment larger than a compact camera are frequently stopped and searched under anti-terrorist legislation, which they find humiliating.'

They note that 'some in the police, especially PCSOs, believe it is illegal to take any pictures of a police officer. This is because of ambiguous legislation, introduced earlier this year, which made it an imprisonable offence to collect "information of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism".'

The letter concludes: 'Rather than treat photographers as terrorists, the Government should amend the Anti-Terrorism Act to prevent its misuse and explain to police forces that a hostile attitude towards photographers is unwelcome.'

Read the full letter HERE.

The picture is by Guy Smallman. It is from February, when hundreds of photographers protested at Scotland Yard in London. Their 'mass photoshoot' protest was objecting to Section 76 of the Counter Terrorism Act, which allowed the arrest of photographers for taking pictures of police officers.

The case of the Derbyshire Drone

Brendan Montague has penned a very good article, 'Down the Drone', over at The Sauce, about the police's use of a pilot-less aerial drone at Saturday's protest in Codnor. As I've already reported, the Unite Against Fascism blockading of the BNP's 'Red, White and Blue' festival seriously rattled the Nazi hardcore who hoped to use the event to toughen up their newer supporters. Their efforts to present a respectable facade - 'family event' and all that guff - were scuppered by 2000 protestors who were impressively committed to ruining their day.

The police's use of heavy-handed surveillance should be a cause for concern, not just for anti-fascist campaigners but for all those who value the right to peaceful protest. Their main purpose is to stigmatise protest, attempting to make demonstrating appear to be a dubious, borderline criminal, activity (therefore putting off a layer of potential protestors from taking part). The drone can gather detailed surveillance data, for absolutely no worthwhile purpose whatsoever.

As the report at The Sauce points out, some of us are looking into using Freedom of Information legislation to obtain records of the surveillance. If you were at the Codnor protest and want to apply for the surveillance data - and give the police the kind of headache that could make them think twice about using a drone again - you'll find the form HERE.