Julian Assange’s father and brother continue their U.S. tour and were in Boston on Wednesday where Assange was presented with the Sacco and Vanzetti award. Watch the replay here.
The Community Church of Boston presented its 2021 Sacco-Vanzetti Memorial Award for Social Justice to WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange on Wednesday. Accepting the award for the imprisoned Assange was his father and brother, John and Gabriel Shipton who are on a 17-city U.S. tour. Former Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein was among the speakers.
Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were Italian immigrants and anarchists who were convicted in 1921 of murder during an armed robbery near Boston. Despite recanted testimony, conflicting ballistics evidence, a prejudicial pretrial statement by the jury foreman, and a confession by an alleged participant in the robbery appeals were denied by the trial judge and the Massachusetts Supreme Court. Sacco and Vanzetti became a cause célèbres because of their apparent political conviction. Because of the worldwide outcry the Massachusetts governor set up a commission, which upheld the convictions. Sacco and Vanzetti were executed by electric chair on August 23, 1927.
Assange is facing a political extradition proceeding for publishing information revealing U.S. war crimes. He remains in Belmarsh Prison in London as the U.S. appeals a judge’s decision not to extradite him on health grounds. Watch the replay of the awards ceremony here:
I am happy for Home run for Assange. Free Julian Assange, i hope world union will happen to avoid too much economical competition that may lead to coercion
I’m sick that nothing can be done for Assange because our present past and future presidential candidate’s are controlled by the oligarchy. Sound’s corny but it’s true. This man is paying the supreme price for defying the Military Industrial Complex. I pray every day that a miracle will manifest itself and save him before they kill him. Screw Hilary Clinton and her insanely commercial for Rescue.org. I gave money to them and I’m mad as hell. She’s the reason these people need to be rescued and hot rich doing it.
US behavior towards whistle blowers in general and mr Assange in particular is an outrage. All nations and patriotic US and UK citizens should protest this attack on democracy – the vendetta against him merely for exposing government crimes is the worst sort of bullying to the point of torture.
Hard to have any faith in our democracy when it ignores and/or imprisons loyal whistle blowers. We are doomed without a free 4th estate.
Thank you, Mr Assange