Wikileaks: Assange supporters assemblage at London court

While the architect of whistle-blowing website Wikileaks, Julian Assange, sat in a London courtroom, dozens of his supporters stood alfresco in a appearance of solidarity.

Taking over the pavement adverse the court, protesters acclimated a aggregate of chants and placards to altercate that efforts to abandon Mr Assange to Sweden over animal advance accuse were, in reality, a agilely buried advance on abandon of information.

Nearly 100 supporters abounding the air alfresco the cloister with chants of "free Julian now" and "don't shoot the messenger".

Many captivated placards address Mr Assange's letters such as "justice for Julian", "extradition = rendition" and "show trial", a byword acclimated by his lawyer, Mark Stephens, to call the administration he acquainted the acknowledged affairs were taking.

Andrew Robertson, 40, an IT artisan from east London, appeared to sum up the prevailing affection of those who had braved arctic altitude to appearance their abutment if he said "the affair of abandon of advice is beneath threat".

"The action for abandon of accent is a marathon, not a sprint. It's a animal admiration to wish to allege up; it's been fought for over time and fought for in the future," he said.

The protesters were visibly outnumbered by the array of journalists, photographers, and cameramen from about the apple who jostled for position alfresco City of Westminster Magistrates' Court.

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“Start Quote

We are continuing up for the abandon to apperceive what our government is doing”

End Quote Lindsey German Stop the War

Campaigner Peter Tatchell, whose accent prompted activation acclaim and loud cheers, rallied supporters by arguing that it was all-important to avert Wikileaks because the website performed a "public service" by absolution advice that was "in the accessible interest".

"It's about giving us the advice that should be accustomed to us as a right. If we had able autonomous governments we wouldn't accept to get this advice from Wikileaks," he said.

Similar sentiments were bidding by Lindsey German, civic convener of the Stop the War campaign, who said: "We are continuing up for the abandon to apperceive what our government is doing. We can't assurance what our governments are doing. They aria to us over Afghanistan, they aria to us over Iraq and they abide to lie to us.

"We're traveling to argue his extradition. We accept this is a bent act by our government to stop humans alive what they deserve to know."

Mr Assange is accused of accepting caught sex with a woman, articular alone as Miss A, if she insisted he use a condom.

He is aswell accused of accepting caught sex with addition woman, Miss W, while she was asleep.

Peter Tatchell and placards Peter Tatchell was a part of those who showed their abutment alfresco the court

But the Wikileaks architect claims the accuse adjoin him are politically motivated and advised to discredit him.

Referring to these allegations in his speech, Mr Tatchell said: "None of us apperceive the accuracy about the sex allegations adjoin Julian Assange but we do apperceive that he is getting victimised."

But a bystander, whose face betrayed a faculty of curiosity, did not allotment the faculty of abuse bidding by Mr Assange's supporters.

Gretta Mattoon, 71, had paused for a moment during her cafeteria breach to watch the media scrum, back the protesters were visibly outnumbered by the media assembly from about the apple who jostled for position alfresco City of Westminster Magistrates' Court.

The ambassador from Kensal Rise, in arctic London, said she had "mixed" animosity about Wikileaks.

"I'm animated to apperceive some things, but added things aren't a acceptable abstraction to absolution - for example, the revelations about China.