Julian Assange finds no allies and tough queries in Oxford University talk

[struggle4progress]

Speaking by video link from Ecuadorean embassy, WikiLeaks founder rebuffs questions about not returning to Sweden
Amelia Hill
The Guardian, Wednesday 23 January 2013

... the former winner of the Sam Adams award repeatedly refused to answer questions about his decision not to return to Sweden to face allegations of rape and sexual assault ...

A question about cyber terrorism was greeted with verbose warmth. Rachel Savage, a 22-year-old PPE student then asked: "What would you say to the protesters outside who say your appearance tonight diminishes the seriousness of rape and sexual assault?"

Assange half closed his eyes and sighed. "I heard there was a protest but we sent our cameras out there before joining you tonight and there were 28 supporters of me and of no one else."

Before the event, however, there had been at least 50 protesters and no supporters of Assange to be seen. After the ceremony, security staff confirmed they had not seen anyone defending the WikiLeaks founder all evening ...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013/jan/24/julian-assange-oxford-university-wikileaks

[MADem]

1. The bloom is off the rose, apparently.

He is also angry about the movie being made about him....

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2013/jan/24/julian-assange-wikileaks?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487

[leveymg]

2. He has many allies at Oxford - he was given an award there for his Wikileaks work. He also has

critics at Oxford and at The Guardian. That's news?

This story is really slanted to try to falsely diminish his support, and it buries his complaint about the Hollywood docudrama that implies that Wikileaks is some sort of Iranian conspiracy: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/01/24/julian-assange-benedict-cumberbatch-propaganda-_n_2540104.html?utm_hp_ref=uk

"The suggestion is that Iran is working on an atomic weapon," said Assange, adding: "How does this have anything to do with us? It is a lie upon lie. The movie is a massive propaganda attack on WikiLeaks and the character of my staff."

He quotes from the script, saying scientists are seen meeting a US agent.

"How is it that a lie gets into a script about WikiLeaks?"

Assange seems to have become tied up in larger international conflicts, not of his making. Clearly, there's an agenda to diminish and silence him and Wikileaks.

[OnyxCollie]

4. "Clearly, there's an agenda to diminish and silence him and Wikileaks."

There's an anti-Assange agenda (and a whole 'lotta 'lliteration) from the apparatchik right here on DU.

[freshwest]

3. The stand off continues. When he says 'we sent our cameras out there' who is he talking about?

Livestream by individuals with cellphones recording events as a volunteer effort, paid professionals for news organizations, or someone who is employed by Wikileaks?

Everything about this seems so staged, all the time. Hard to understand what useful by this diversion from what is happening politically or economically. It is very much like a celebrity event, somewhat like a train wreck in slow motion.

Like the last days of Anna Nicole Smith. People with money, and nothing happens until a predictable accident occurs.

[bitly21]

5. ???