‘Release Assange or else!’ Hackers Anonymous sends UK warning over Wikileaks founder

HACKING organisation Anonymous has threatened to “unleash the force of the internet” on the UK Government unless it releases Wikileaks founder Julian Assange after his arrest at the Ecuadorian embassy yesterday.

By Ciaran McGrath, Senior News Reporter

Julian Assange: Anonymous deliver message following arrest

And the shadowy organisation claimed the world was on the brink of a “revolution”, which it would spearhead.  was arrested by British police after they were invited into the embassy, where he has been claiming asylum since 2012. The UK must now decide whether to extradite Mr Assange to the United States, where the Department for Justice wants to question him in relaxation to claims he conspired with former US intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to download classified databases.

The lengthy video message, posted on Facebook and delivered by an animated figure closely resembling the character V from Alan Moore’s graphic novel , is aimed at “the UK government and their cohorts around the world who are working to silence whistleblowers”.

The message said: “As many of you know, UK authorities have arrested Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange on behalf of the US government. 

“This is a move that has been expected for some time and Assange himself has even warned us about his impending arrest. 

“This arrest and the greater persecution of Wikileaks and other whistleblowers sends a clear message that these governments will stop at nothing to maintain their secrecy.

Julian Assange

Julian Assange: The An0nymous message urged the UK to release the wikileaks founder (Image: Getty/An0nymous)

“After exposing , Assange was labeled as a Russian asset, although there is no evidence to support these claims.”

Instead, the message described Mr Assange as “a true journalist who speaks truth to power and exposes corruption whether it is on the left or the right”.

It added: “Influential people representing the governments of the UK, the United States, and Ecuador have all signed off on this unprecedented attack on journalism. 

“By these actions, they are bringing the free world closer to a widespread revolution, and that is honestly what may be needed to stop these constant advances on our freedom.

Julian Assange

Julian Assange: The wikileaks founder is driven off in a police van (Image: GETTY)

Every single powerful person who has signed off on this order should be shaking in their boots, because the force of the internet is about to be unleashed upon them

An0nymous video message

“This should be a peaceful revolution that is waged across many battlefields, including cyberspace, the domain of An0nymous.

“Every single powerful person who has signed off on this order should be shaking in their boots, because the force of the internet is about to be unleashed upon them.

“All the way from the CIA, the President of the United States, and down to the arresting officers that carried Assange out of the embassy, you have all exposed yourselves as enemies of the people and it is time for An0nymous to act accordingly.”

In a clear reference to the currently plaguing French President Emmanuel Macron, it added: “Street protests are sometimes seen as a wasted effort, but the current revolution brewing in France and other parts of the developed world show us that the governments can bend to the will of the people.”

Julian Assange

Julian Assange: The arrest of the wikileaks founder has sparked protests (Image: GETTY)

The message called on “the people of the UK” to come to Mr Assange’s rescue and prevent his extradition.

It added: “If protests that rival the scale and intensity of the recent demonstrations in France were to sweep across the UK in response to the arrest of Assange, it could help to protect him, and possibly change the outcome of his case.”

Claiming the Australian, who is still wanted for questioning about a in Sweden, was “well loved by the people of the world”, it said: “Unfortunately, the establishment does not feel the same, so this is a warning for the establishment: Let Assange free or you will pay!

"The time has come for us to unite, the time has come for us to stand up and fight! We are Anonymous! We are Legion! We do not forgive! We do not forget! Expect us!”

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