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Hands of Latin America - Solidarity with Julian Assange
October 12th is significant across Latin America as it marks the anniversary of Columbus’ s 1492 landing on Guanahani, in what is now The Bahamas, an event which was the precursor to European colonisation and oppression across the Americas. On Friday, individuals and groups from London’s Latin American communities gathered to show resistance to on-going Western exploitation of their homelands and to historical US hegemony and interference.
Central themes in the event were solidarity with Ecuador’s decision to grant Julian Assange political asylum, support for Assange himself and condemnation of the West’s record of political intervention and military occupation across the continent. In words that have historical and current significance organisers proclaimed – La justicia gringa protege a los dictadores y persigue a los defensores de la verdad.
The “Hands Off Latin America!” march assembled at the US embassy and wound its way via the Spanish and Peruvian embassies to join with those on vigil outside the Ecuadorian embassy in Hans Crescent. Within the march were several from the on-going Assange vigil and others from Occupy and Anonymous.
Martin Houston’s excellent video of the speeches is here.