Unity4J To Fold Into Heightened Global Assange Support Efforts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, June 13, 2019

Unity4J to fold into heightened global Assange support efforts

Unity4J is pleased to announce a final online vigil event this Friday June 14th between 4-7pm Eastern. The event will showcase an esteemed panel including CIA torture whistleblower John Kiriakou, veteran CIA analyst Ray McGovern, comedian Graham Elwood and a host of other longtime friends and supporters of Julian Assange.

It will be the last stream event by Unity4J for the foreseeable future. Emmy Butlin from the Julian Assange Defence Committee in London will also appear alongside host Suzie Dawson, as well as Unity4J participants from past vigils to speak about what Unity4J has meant to them; to reflect upon their collective achievements; and express their messages to the wider support base for the future.

In mid 2019, with Julian now in prison, the 'Unity' message is evolving into the 'Free Julian' message.

The fast-growing effort in the UK called the JA Defence Committee led by Emmy Butlin in support of Julian, has expanded into a well developed campaign of multiple organizing sub-groups, who are achieving great things, and holding wonderful events, some of which multiple supporters of Unity4J have attended and spoken at, to our great pleasure.

Unity4J co-founder Suzie Dawson said "Recently, the global press and therefore the public, has at long last awoken to the clear and present danger to themselves presented by the persecution of Julian Assange. This has created rapid growth in global support for him, with countless new efforts to free Julian springing up. It is our belief that supporting the UK-based Julian Assange Defence Committee is paramount as well as other parallel efforts in Australia and elsewhere. It is time for the spotlight to shine brightly on the other efforts to free Julian."

Unity4J has held 34 online vigils for Julian Assange across a 15 month period, attracting the participation of 100 public figures around the world, hundreds of thousands of viewers and hundreds of millions of social media impressions.

Background:

#Unity4J was set up in response to Ecuador’s gagging of publisher Julian Assange with the support of more than 50 high-profile activists, journalists, celebrities, academics, and former US intelligence officials including Chris Hedges, Jimmy Dore, Ray McGovern, Bill Binney, John Kiriakou and Daniel Ellsberg.