Assange’s freedom is a win for people power, quiet diplomacy and the human spirit
Julian Assange is now a free man. However, for 14 years, to indulge this proposition would simply be too good to be true. The fact that Assange is free today, is testament to the endurance of not only his legal team, his devoted family or the politicians who turned the tide in the fourth quarter. No, it was all of these elements catapulted by the relentless action takers, the concerned citizens, the passionate public.
“If anyone ever tells you that small, consistent actions can’t change anything, remember the story of Julian Assange. Millions of people, thousands of groups and institutions chipped away day after day for years, with only a glimmer of hope at best. Today, he walks free.”
As a previous employee of Amnesty International Australia who worked closely on the Julian Assange case for the past 5 years, I saw how small actions created a butterfly effect over the long-term. It proved that ‘people power’ is still an essential way to hold nations accountable in 2024 and against a global superpower, nonetheless.
In April of 2019, when Julian was forced into Belmarsh Prison he had gone from being a hero of fearless journalism who had won 24 awards, to a public foe. His name couldn’t be uttered without the chance of an uncomfortable response. Over the following years, I slowly witnessed the tide turn back in favor of Julian’s release. The snowballing effect of advocacy was taking place in front of me in two particular ways.
From local community groups like People4Assange and the Assange Campaign. Volunteers would be on the street each day, racking up one labored signature after another. Copping the crass sounds of abuse for years, until the rousing sound of horns blaring in support became the norm. Over time, these groups approached Amnesty to push harder, to do more. I remember the phones wouldn’t stop ringing and unrelated posts on social media would draw the same question in the comments: ‘why aren’t you doing more on Assange?’. After being invited to speak at one of their rallies with John Pilger, Mary Kostakidis and Greg Barnes, we were embedded in the broader movement that had been building the foundations for years.
From Amnesty, our global petition grew from 100,000 signatures in 2019, to 400,000 globally in 2020 and was presented to the US embassy, after a press conference in Martin Place. Support from allies like Bob Carr and Quentin Dempster shifted the conversation in Australia, as did a stream of online support from Kevin Rudd, Scott Ludlam, Kerry O’Brien, and other respected figures from across the political aisle. It proved that this wasn’t just a fringe case anymore.
From there, we co-signed public statements in solidarity with other advocacy groups and closely observed each hearing in London. Then, we were engaged by the family - Gabriel in particular - to support the film Ithaka. We launched mass campaigns mobilising supporters, and in 2024, assisted Gabriel and Andrew Wilkie with submitting what became the first motion passed with bi-partisan support of Assange’s release in Australian parliament.
Evidently, the beauty of advocacy and mass movements are that each group needs the other. We’re intertwined in the pursuit of our shared goal and that harks back to the indomitable human spirit of fighting injustice. Strength in numbers and everyone doing whatever they can, with whatever they have. Whether it’s writing a letter to a local MP, signing a petition or a back room negotiation with a Head of State, all these actions crystalised into one cumulative outcome.
Together, we moved the public from condemnation of Julian and willful ignorance of the precedent set by his case - to a poll in the Herald in May of last year which indicated that 79 percent of Australians wanted him to be released. We saw celebrities show vocal support in public, politicians retract their previous disdain towards his actions, until Biden suddenly proclaimed ‘we’re considering it’. Finally, it ended with Julian embracing his wife Stella and father John at Canberra Airport.
The taste of freedom against the odds is a long, challenging road, but it’s a testament to the never ending desire to stand up for the truth. With the enduring expertise of his legal team, the love and will of his family, the cage rattling of the NGOs and persistent public, or the political nuance of quiet and loud diplomacy - this was a win for all. The fight for others detained unjustly or persecuted for trying to keep the public informed all around the world, will continue.
For now, go well Julian.