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Ciaron says he was arrested for trying to give ‘the key to Julian Assange’s cell’ to Joe Biden

Ciaron O’Reilly says he was attempting to deliver “the key to Julian Assange’s cell” to US President Joe Biden, who is facing calls to drop extradition proceedings against the Wikileaks co-founder.

15 April 2023 By David Aidone, SBS News

KEY POINTS

• An Australian activist says he was arrested for protesting outside Dublin Castle during US President Joe Biden’s visit.
• Ciaron O’Reilly held a key-shaped placard demanding freedom for Julian Assange.
• Mr Assange, co-founder of WikiLeaks, is fighting extradition to the US.

An Australian anti-war activist and former bodyguard to Julian Assange claims he was arrested after staging a protest outside Dublin Castle in Ireland where United States President Joe Biden was attending an event this week.

Ciaron O’Reilly posted pictures of himself on social media holding a novelty-sized key-shaped placard emblazoned with the words “President Biden, Free Julian Assange“.

Mr O’Reilly said he was attempting to deliver the key to Mr Biden, who was  on a four-day trip to Northern Ireland and Ireland honouring the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

He said he was arrested by officers of Garda Siochana, the national police service of Ireland, after protesting outside Dublin Castle while a banquet was being held for Mr Biden.

“Joe seemed to have dropped his key to #JulianAssange’s cell, I was merely returning it!,” Mr O’Reilly wrote on Twitter.

“We need to #FreeAssangeNOW! O’Reilly was wrestled to the ground by members of the GardaiSiochana outside #Dublin Castle where a banquet was underway during the #Biden visit,” the post read…………………………………… more https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/ciaron-says-he-was-arrested-for-trying-to-give-the-key-to-julian-assanges-cell-to-joe-biden/d4rc1q76w

April 17, 2023 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Legal, UK