Man’s mission to help free Assange
ALEXIA AUSTIN
IF you have taken a drive around East Toowoomba lately, it’s likely you have come across corflutes advocating for the release of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
Toowoomba man Rod Lemin is the man behind the signs and he’s on a mission to start a conversation.
“I think honesty is the best policy and that applies to governments – (Assange) exposed how they work,” Mr Lemin said.
“He’s done factual reporting and the Americans want to get him no matter what – it sets a dangerous precedent.
“I see this as an important issue for my children and grandchildren because it will affect press freedom for the rest of time.”
An Australian citizen, Mr Assange was arrested at the Ecuadorean embassy in London in 2019 for breaching bail and failing to surrender to court.
He remains in a London prison and is currently fighting extradition to the USA, where he is wanted on espionage charges.
Mr Lemin planned to place all of his corflutes before Assange’s extradition hearing in September.
So far he has put more than 50 signs across 30 locations in the city.
“Apathy is what’s killing Assange and I want to not only mobilise our community but the whole of Australia,” Mr Lemin said.
“I want to get people to start looking into (his case) now because there is more accurate information coming out now.
“The government say they want press freedom but they really don’t – their actions oppose what they say.”
Mr Lemin said he has had mixed reactions to the signs so far and he has also been writing letters to a local MP, with the hope of getting them on side.
alexia.austin@thechronicle.com.au