Media Release: Father of Julian Assange to address Free Palestine Rally

15 February 2024 – for immediate release

John Shipton, the father of detained political activist Julian Assange, will speak at the Free Palestine Melbourne rally on Sunday.

“The campaign to free Julian and the campaign for a free Palestine are intrinsically connected,” said Shipton. “While the Biden Administration is lobbying Britain to extradite my son, American arms are being used to assassinate Palestinian journalists. This war against journalism is actually an assault upon the public consciousness. As the lights go out around the world, then wars and mass murder may be carried out with impunity.”

The Free Palestine Melbourne rally, which will take place at 12pm on Sunday 18 February at the State Library is being supported by the Australian Assange Campaign. Other speakers include the President of the Islamic Council of Victoria, Adel Salman.

“The support of the Assange Campaign is very important to us,” said Muayad Ali of Free Palestine Melbourne. “In 2011, the Wikileaks Cables confirmed the United States knew that Israel’s policy was ‘to keep the Gazan economy on the brink of collapse’. America’s connivance in this secret campaign to pauperise the Palestinian people would never have come to light without the work of Julian Assange.”

After addressing the rally, Shipton will depart for the UK to attend a court hearing seeking permission to appeal his son’s extradition to the United States.

For more information contact: info@fpmelbourne.org