SA supporters rally for WikiLeaks' Assange

Hundreds of people have gathered outside South Australia's parliament to rally in
support of WikiLeaks and demand fair treatment for its imprisoned Australian
co-founder Julian Assange.
Event organiser and community activist Richard Bergin said he was amazed by the
turnout but declared to the boisterous crowd of more than 300 people that
whistleblower website chief "Julian Assange has a posse".
"An attack on Assange is an attack on WikiLeaks and an attack on WikiLeaks is an
attack on us and our right to know the truth," Mr Bergin told the gathering.
"... People are not buying the lies that WikiLeaks is the threat but the government
secrecy and oppression of the truth is the real threat."
He said the federal government must cease its active support for the US campaign
against Mr Assange and WikiLeaks and ensure that the WikiLeaks founder, who is
facing sexual assault charges, is afforded proper justice.
"In the face of injustice, we must demand that the Australian government stand up
for its citizens and not turn its back on them," he said.
Mr Assange is being held in Britain until an extradition application to face
allegations of sexual assault in Sweden is settled.
Many see his detention as an attempt to hinder the continued release of government
files through WikiLeaks.
Greens SA senator Sarah Hanson-Young told the crowd Mr Assange deserved support.
"We need the Australian government to stand strong for this man," she said.
"He is an Australian citizen."
Senator Hanson-Young said it seemed Prime Minister Julia Gillard had either misheard
or misunderstood the Australian people on the issue.
"People are outraged at the response of Julia Gillard and the Australian
government," she said.
"It's time she listened."
Before the rally Senator Hanson-Young said that while Ms Gillard continued to say Mr
Assange's action leaking US diplomatic cables was illegal, the prime minister had
not clarified exactly what law he had broken.
"What the prime minister should be doing is guaranteeing the passport for an
Australian citizen and ensuring that we do everything we can to ensure that he has
the legal expertise and support from his government that he needs at this time," Ms
Hanson-Young said.