New protest planned to call for release of Julian Assange

A protest outside Parliament is being organised to call for the release of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

Campaigners and supporters will march through central London on June 24 as Assange faces extradition to the United States, where he fears being imprisoned for the rest of his life.

He has been held in London’s high-security Belmarsh Prison for over four years as he fights extradition.

Among the speakers at the Parliament Square event will be Assange’s wife, Stella, alongside a sculpture called Anything To Say, which features life-sized bronze figures of whistleblowers Edward Snowden, Assange and Chelsea Manning, each standing on their own individual chair.

Adjacent to them is an empty chair, representing the general population, encouraging everyone to “stand up instead of sit like the others”.

The sculpture has been displayed in Germany, Switzerland, France, Italy, Belgium, Serbia, and Australia.

Author and broadcaster Charles Glass conceived the idea, and it was brought to life by Italian artist Davide Dormino, who said: “As an artist, I feel I have a duty to defend freedom of speech and the right to know. That is why I have created an empty chair, which allows us to stand taller and raise ourselves.

“It changes our perspective and prompts us to look beyond what we are shown and what is hidden.”