About 500 demonstrators paraded through the streets of Sydney on Saturday, January 15, to show their support for Wikileaks editor in chief Julian Assange and US soldier, Bradley Manning, accused of leaking 250,000 diplomatic cables to the whistleblowers' website.
on Jan 15 2011 4:34PM
Wikileaks rally, Sydney, January 15, 2011.
Wikileaks rally, Sydney, January 15, 2011.
Wikileaks rally, Sydney, January 15, 2011. Speaker for Assange support group.
Wikileaks Rally, Sydney, January 15, 2011. Several leftist groups showed their support for Assange.
Wikileaks protesters
Journalist Wendy Bacon.
Pro-Wikileaks protester.
Journalist Antony Loewenstein.
The rally heads off to the US consulate in Sydney.
Wikileaks rally, Sydney, January 15 2011.
Wikileaks rally, Sydney, January 15 2011.
Police provide protective cordon for Wikileaks protesters.
Pirate Party members in good spirits. No.2 member Brendan Molloy, centre.
Police provide protective cordon for Wikileaks protesters.
Wikileaks protesters.
Police provide protective cordon for Wikileaks protesters.
Wikileaks protest, January 15, Sydney.
Mounted police bring up the rear at Wikileaks Sydney protest.
Police provide protective cordon for Wikileaks protesters.
Che Guevara featured prominently on a flag held by two protesters. Several fringe groups used the protest to bring attention to their causes, which distracted from the rally's purpose, an organiser said.
The Greens were also there.
The group nears the US consulate; but is anyone home?
Two police watch the 500 or so protesters.
Pirate Party organisers of the rally chant slogans.
The two protective police are joined by four more clothed officers and an inspector but there was no attempt by the protesters to climb the stairs leading to the US consulate offices.
Mounted police watch over the protest.
The protest headed next to Hyde Park.
Pirate Party organiser Rodney Serkowski addresses the protesters.
MEAA journalist union NSW vice-president Marcus Strom confirms Julian Assange is a financial member of the union and deserves the same rights and protections as working journalists around the world.
Pirate Party flag.
Journalist Geoff Strom and rally organiser Rodney Serkowski.
It was a lighthearted affair at times, just blowing bubbles.