https://vimeo.com/455287466

Alice Walker, Noam Chomsky, and Daniel Ellsberg oppose the extradition of Julian Assange to the US to face charges under the Espionage Act. The extradition hearing starts in London on Monday, Sept. 7th. With host Jimmy Dore.

Transcript

Jimmy DoreToday, we will be speaking to an illustrious panel of champions for free speech. Alice Walker is a poet,Pulitzer Prize-winning author of books like, 'The Color Purple', a fine essayist, and a civil rights activist.She is one of our greatest writers and greatest social activists. Noam Chomsky, professor of linguisticsand social critic and one of the foremost intellectuals of our time. And Daniel Ellsberg joins us, he wasthe US military analyst who bravely released the Pentagon Papers in 1971. These documents exposedthe lies of our government about the Vietnam War. The fallout of his whistle-blowing helped bring anend to our military involvement in Vietnam. And all three of these guests are co-chairs of the new USsupport group for Julian Assange called, Assange Defense. And if you want more information, you canalways go to assangedefense.org and you will find coverage of the trial, and updates on Julian's hearing.That's assangedefense.org. Mr. Ellsberg, Professor Chomsky, Miss Walker, thank you all for being here.

Alice WalkerThank you.

Daniel EllsbergThank You.

Noam ChomskyThank you.

Jimmy DoreSo let me just start with, Noam, first. There is some confusion in the public. Many think that JulianAssange is on trial for something to do with Russia, and the DNC, and the 2016 election, but he's beingprosecuted for the release of a video showing the US air attack in Iraq that killed dozens of people,including two Reuters media workers. Now, if they are successful in prosecuting Assange, won't it allowgovernments around the world from the US, UK, to Europe, and Australia to outlaw any reporting aboutnational security.Let me just put that to you, Noam.

Noam ChomskyWell, Julian Assange has, as you said, met the responsibilities of the journalist in the most effective andcourageous fashion. He has released information to the public that the public should know. Journalistsand scholars are making extensive use of the information that he provided, something that all of usshould know. Those in power have their own reasons to suppress facts that display to the general public

what they're doing. The essence of a free, democratic society is that the public should know,understand, and be of critical awareness and analysis of what their elected leaders are doing.The highest mission of journalists is to fulfill that responsibility. Julian Assange has done so with greatmerit and courage. We should stress that he's been punished brutally for years for having the cheek thatcarried out this crucial mission of journalism at the highest level. He is now being threatened withextremely severe punishment by a government that wants to silence the revelations of its actions. Whatwill happen at the trial and afterwards will depend very significantly on public actions and reactions.The public uproar over this criminal prosecution is sure to have an impact on how it will eventuate. Andnot only is Julian Assange's fate at risk in this sordid affair, but so is that of journalism, freedom ofspeech, and democratic rights quite generally. We can't stand by and permit this monstrous offenseagainst our highest values to proceed.

Jimmy DoreIf I could just ask you a follow up on that, why is the world of journalism so silent about the persecutionof Julian Assange?

Noam ChomskyYou have to ask them. They shouldn't be. Maybe people are afraid, or maybe they have other reasons,