Dame Vivienne Westwood took part in an unusual protest on Tuesday, to try and prevent the extradition of the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. To raise awareness for Assange’s plight, the 79-year-old fashion designer spent part of the day suspended in a cage outside the Old Bailey in London, dressed in a yellow suit to symbolize the canary in the coalmine.
Westwood told reporters that ‘If the canary died they all got out. Julian Assange is in a cage and he needs to get out. Don’t extradite to America.’ Assange is currently being held in HMP Belmarsh.
Vivienne Westwood’s just been winched into the air in a giant cage outside the Old Bailey. She’s protesting against Julien Assange’s extradition hearings, which start up again in Sept.
“I am Julien Assange. I am the canary in the cage!” @LBC pic.twitter.com/uS1OjZGSJj
— Rachael Venables (@rachaelvenables) July 21, 2020
But if you thought the protest was based on a slightly confused mixed-metaphor, that did not even compare to Westwood’s post-protest interview. After being freed from her cage this morning, Westwood was invited on to BBC News to discuss the extradition and Assange’s case. And while the interview started normally enough, it soon descended into bizarre acrimony.
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After Victoria Derbyshire questioned Westwood on the alleged dumping of unredacted diplomatic cables by Assange, the fashionista accused the BBC host of being a brainwashed moron and wanting Assange ‘in concrete’.
Watch the full interview here:
This article was originally published on The Spectator’s UK website.