Julian Burnside, the well-known civil liberties attorney, has endorsed the demonstration on June 17 at Sydney Town Hall Square. Burnside is a barrister, author and human rights and refugee advocate. He has defended refugees and trade unions, along with Aboriginal and working-class people, in a number of high-profile cases. Burnside has maintained intransigent support for WikiLeaks and Julian Assange since 2010 .

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I join with John Pilger and endorse the demonstration that will take place in Sydney on Sunday, June 17, at 1:00 pm, to demand that the Australian government act immediately to secure the freedom of WikiLeaks’ editor Julian Assange.

I urge all people to take part, especially my colleagues in the legal profession. We cannot remain silent or passive as the democratic principles we uphold are shredded. Assange has not committed any crime. He is being persecuted because he published leaks that exposed government acts that are criminal under the law.

The Turnbull government must help Julian Assange now. He must be helped to leave the Ecuadorean Embassy without being arrested by Britain (our allies) and be allowed to return to Australia, to his children, mother and supporters, with guaranteed protection from arrest by the British and any American extradition request.

Julian Burnside