Julian Assange awarded Peace Prize

Good to see Julian Assange, someone who speaks truth unto power, awarded the Sydney Peace Medal. While in Dublin recently, my sister in law, who is a journalist for the awful right wing Daily Mail (Irish edition) criticised him for being "a narcissist" and someone who was carried away with his own reputation. I stridently disagreed with her, but I can see how he would get up the noses of right wing journos and commentators. He is also, of course, public enemy No 1 for the USA at present, now that Bin Laden has been "taken out" by 'Operation Geronimo'.

Perhaps Hilary Clinton is already working on 'Operation Sitting Bull' where Assange will be spirited away from the Norfolk countryside by helicopter, and then carried by submarine across to face US justice. I demonstrated in his support outside the magistrate's court several months ago during his extradition hearing. My sister in law acidly remarked that most men like him got their overweening pride and arrogance out of their system while still young and then went on conform and settle down. The fact that he has not conformed is to be saluted and he is now paying the price by facing a real sustained attempt to by the US to demonstrate that they will not have their power and prestige mocked. Yet as the judges of the Sydney Peace Medal commented, Assange's Wikileaks contributed considerably towards the Arab Spring, and may contribute to other upheavals and struggles for liberty of which we are not yet aware. As someone who in middle age has not conformed and is still prepared to speak out against injustice, I admire Julian Assange and wish him well.

I also see that he will be appearing at the Brighton Festival on May 21st but tickets are sold out already.