WikiLeaks, Assange and Defending Democracy

Where

When

Thursday, 19 Apr 2012, 06:30pm - 08:00pm

Event Status

Past event

WikiLeaks – the rise, the backlash, the perilous fate of its Australian founder, Julian Assange – is one of the biggest news stories of the new millennium. WikiLeaks’ revelations have exposed government and corporate collusion on a global scale and revealed major fault lines in the relationship between the press, the political system and the public. The conversations about WikiLeaks and Assange are about so much more than the organisation and the individual behind it: they encompass freedom of speech (and the press), whistleblower protection, government transparency and raise fundamental questions about the underlying tenets of our democracy and civil rights.

After almost 500 days under house arrest, Julian Assange is about to discover whether the UK Supreme Court will allow his extradition to Sweden. Join us for a discussion about the facts of the case – and the role of media and government. Just some of the issues explored will be the responsibilities of the Australian Government and what the war on WikiLeaks represents.

Julian’s mother, Christine Assange, says, ‘When it comes to silencing WikiLeaks and its editor-in-chief Julian Assange, it’s not conspiracy theory, it’s conspiracy fact.’

Presented in partnership with WACA – WikiLeaks Australian Citizen’s Alliance.

Featuring

Featuring

Lizzie O’Shea

Lizzie O’Shea is a lawyer and writer. She publishes regularly about law, technology, and human rights. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, Guardian, and The Sydney Morning Herald, among others. Her book, Future Histories, looks at radical social movements and theorists from history... Read more

@Lizzie_OShea

@cyclonelizzie

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Greg Barns

Greg Barns is a barrister and writer. He practices in the areas of criminal law, administrative law and family law and is a member of the Tasmanian, Victorian and WA Bars. Greg is a graduate of Monash University (BA/LLB) and spent over a decade working as a political adviser to a number of state a... Read more

Bernard Keane

Bernard has been Crikey’s correspondent in Canberra since 2008; he writes on politics, media and economics. He was educated at the University of Sydney, where he studied history. Before joining Crikey he was a public servant, and worked in transport policy and as a speechwriter before moving into ... Read more

Scott Ludlam

Scott Ludlam was a senator from 2008 to 2017 and served as deputy leader of the Australian Greens. He has also worked as a filmmaker, artist and graphic designer. He contributed to A Secret Australia: Revealed by the Wikileaks Expose and his memoir, Full Circle, is his first book, the fruit of a li... Read more

@Scottludlam