To coincide with Julian Assange’s latest hearing in court in London, Joanna Mogilevska of classconscious.org takes a stand at the Free Assange and Manning rally at UK Consulate in Melbourne on June 14th 2019.
The transcript of her speech can be read below:
‘Truth is ultimately all we have’.
These are the words Julian Assange wrote in a letter from his cell in Belmarsh prison not so long ago, and it is with these words that I stand today.
And, as the writer George Orwell noted 70 years ago, ‘In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act’, Assange is indeed a revolutionary, and, therefore, probably so are all of us.
Hi there, my name is Joey Mogilevska and I am an educator, a socialist and a believer of truth and freedom.
I am a contributor to classconscious.org, a website that publishes socialist analysis of our world and I represent today my comrades of class conscious, and workers worldwide. I unite with them today.
I stand today to condemn the detention, the punishment and the torture of both Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning, as I do that of all journalists and whistleblowers world wide. I demand their immediate release and pardon. They have suffered enough for exposing the coverups, the atrocities and lies. Enough!
I condemn the AFP and their recent raids on a News Corps journalist and then on the ABC, among many others, and I condemn those who ordered those raids. I applaud whistleblowers and journalists who reveal the truth, for following the courage of their convictions. I express my dissent for the intimidation, persecution and muzzling of journalists and whistleblowers here, and world wide.
I condemn the laws that aim to keep truth hidden and perpetuate the lies that serve to oppress and brutalise humanity. I oppose the reasons for their persecution,prosecution and incarceration and I express my dissent of those who accuse them of being criminals. If there are laws they have broken to reveal the atrocities of war; laws they have broken to reveal the lies, the cover ups and the corruption of governments, laws that have indeed been broken to reveal the torture of hundreds, then I say, those laws are wrong! I condemn such laws that see war criminals go free while those brave enough to reveal the truth are punished and persecuted! They didn’t commit the crimes, they exposed them.
I express my dissent for the US government and all its members for perpetrating horrifying acts against humanity and then scapegoating the likes of Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning!
I express my dissent for the Swedish government for attempting to curry favour with the US and both the British and Australian governments for their allegiance to US Imperialism. I condemn Britain’s home secretary for signing Julian’s extradition papers.
I condemn the Ecuadorian government for offering up Assange with such relish. I condemn Correa, for while he feigned asylum for Assange, he was locking up his very own whistleblowers right there in Ecuador. I condemn Moreno for delivering Assange’s head on a platter on a cheap promise to feather his glutinous nest while his own people are oppressed and in need.
I hold the Australian government and all its members of parliament in reproach for the atrocities it has committed since its inception and for the crime of remaining silent regarding the detainment and persecution of Assange, a fellow Australian. I express my utter disdain for those who wield some authority in this corrupt system for not intervening. Julian’s health has deteriorated drastically since his detention in Belmarsh and Chelsea has lost her home due to the financial penalties imposed upon her for fighting for what is right. Shame on the Australian ruling class for kowtowing to the dictates of Washington, in their complicity in the persecution of Julian.
And, most importantly, I oppose capitalism, at the base of it all, which requires lies to be believed and the truth to be hidden in order to continue its malicious attack on the masses world wide. I oppose the ruling class that order the torture, imprisonment, punishment and persecution of defenders of the truth.
Capitalism is the enemy of the people.
Capitalism is the enemy of truth.
The enemy of peace.
The enemy of justice.
The cause of ecological disaster.
The enemy of humanity!
End capitalism!
End fascism!
Get rid of fascism and capitalism, the true villains of the piece, and there is no need for the lies, the coverups, for there will be no ruling class, no profit over ethics, no wars, no need to defend borders for there will be no borders!
I call on all workers of the world to unite in our struggle against fascism and capitalism and implement socialism.
We must struggle to replace this decayed and defunct system with true socialism, true equality, based on the very best traits of humanity (those of compassion, of care, of acceptance, empathy, of sharing) instead of the very worst traits – (greed, malice, division, exclusion, the traits that capitalism encourages and depends on).
I call on all workers of the world to unite in our struggle against the suppression of truth and to condemn the persecution of those who fight for it.
I therefore call for the immediate release of Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning. Because, ultimately, truth is all we have. And this planet is the only one we have. There is a better way. Workers of the world unite!
FREE ASSANGE AND MANNING
JAIL THE WAR CRIMINALS
END THE LIES
END CAPITALISM NOW
END CLASS NOW!
Wow! Excellent, inspiring speech!