To show solidarity with Julian Assange, renowned UK clothing designer, Vivienne Westwood, has launched a line of t-shirts with the slogan "I'm Julian Assange."
All profits from the sale of the t-shirts will go to WikiLeaks, which Westwood praises as "a brilliant organization to combat misinformation and concealment."
Westwood states in her blog that by buying and wearing the unisex t-shirt, you can show your support for a "real hero," and the shirts will be sold via the designer's official website for £40. She said, “WikiLeaks has had 90 per cent of all donations blocked by Visa, MasterCard, Western Union, PayPal, Amazon and Bank of America, so all profits from the sale of this t-shirt will go directly to them."
She continued by adding that Assange is working in the interests of the public “to expose the facts concealed and misinformation published by the authorities for their own protection.”
Westwood was spotted visiting Assange wearing the new t-shirt, as pictured above. The t-shirt has the 71-year-old’s image emblazoned on the front with the tag line “I am Julian Assange.”
WikiLeaks has been suffering a financial blockade since 2010, after releasing documents that embarrassed and angered the US and also upset Australian PM Julia Gillard.
Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, has been holed up in the Ecuadorean embassy in London since June, where he sought, and was granted asylum by Ecuador, to avoid extradition to Sweden. Although political asylum has been granted to him, he is unable to leave the embassy as the UK will not grant him safe passage.
The UK government insists that they are obligated to deliver Assange to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning over allegations of rape and sexual assault. However, Assange denies the charges and fears that should he be sent to Sweden, he would then be passed on to the US on espionage charges for the leaking of thousands of diplomatic cables through his website.
Ecuador has attempted to set up an interview between Assange and Swedish authorities in their Stockholm embassy, but without success so far.
Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/336103#ixzz2B9lvg8lz
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