The Socialist Equality Party (UK) and the International Youth and Students for Social Equality are holding a series of meetings titled: War, lies and censorship—Free Julian Assange!

In the wake of the US-British-French missile strikes on Syria, a campaign is growing in the political and military/intelligence establishments in the UK and US for a wider war that would threaten a nuclear conflict with Russia and China—with Israel playing the role of chief provocateur through its bloody repression of the Palestinians and threats against Iran.

These war preparations are propelled by more than soldiers and missiles: they are powered by lies.

All the major news outlets are working overtime to sell the public a re-hash of the “weapons of mass destruction” narrative used to justify the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

This is the reason for the turn to censorship of the Internet, targeting the World Socialist Web Site and other anti-imperialist and anti-war voices on the fraudulent pretext of fighting “fake news” and “Russian meddling.”

This also accounts for the stepped-up persecution of WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange, who remains in the Ecuadorian embassy in London where he has been confined for the past six years.

The Ecuadorian government has cut Assange off from communicating with the outside world, blocking his access to the Internet, phone communications and visitors. If he leaves the embassy, he faces arrest and extradition to the US, where he faces likely charges of espionage and even the death penalty for the crime of exposing American war crimes.

The World Socialist Web Site has called for the formation of an International Coalition of Socialist, Anti-War and Progressive Websites to fight against this attack.

The ruling elite knows there is mass opposition to their criminal designs. But the drive to war and dictatorship can only be stopped by merging working class opposition to social inequality with the struggle against imperialism.

Make plans to attend a meeting in your area. Full details below.

Bradford
Saturday May 19, 2 p.m.
Kala Sangam Art Centre, St. Peters House
1 Forster Square, BD1 4TY

London
Sunday May 20, 1:30 p.m.
London Irish Centre, 50-52 Camden Square,
NW1 9XB, (nearest tube: Camden Town)

Manchester
Tuesday May 22, 7 p.m.
Friends Meeting House, Room G1
6 Mount St, M2 5NS (behind Manchester Central Library)

Sheffield
Wednesday May 23, 7 p.m.
Central URC Church,
60 Norfolk Street, S1 2JB

Oxford
Saturday May 26, 2 p.m.
Fusion Arts, 44b Princes Street
Cowley Road, OX4 1DD

Liverpool
Wednesday May 30, 7 p.m.
Liverpool Quaker Meeting House
22 School Lane, L1 3BT

Cambridge
Saturday, June 2, 2 p.m.
Anglia Ruskin University
Lord Ashcroft building, Room 214 (second floor)

Dublin
Wednesday, June 6, 8 p.m.
The Graduate, Killiney Shopping Centre
Rochestown Ave, Killiney, Co. Dublin