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Occupy London divided on Assange support

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WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, pictured in London Feb. 2, 2012. UPI/Hugo Philpott
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, pictured in London Feb. 2, 2012. UPI/Hugo Philpott 
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Published: Aug. 20, 2012 at 7:55 AM

LONDON, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Occupy London activists say they're divided about whether they should be backing fugitive WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

A post on Occupy London's Twitter account said the organization hasn't reached a "collective decision about the Assange issue," The Guardian reported.

Assange has been holed up in the Ecuadorean Embassy for two months to avoid being extradited to Sweden to face questioning in two sexual assaults. Two women accused Assange of assaulting them. He denied the accusations and said he fears Sweden will extradite him to the United States, where he could be charged in the leaking of classified information about the Iran and Afghanistan wars and diplomatic issues.

"Some object to his extradition to Sweden, some don't," the Occupy post said.

Inside the embassy compound, Assange mocked the British government Sunday when he appeared on the balcony and accused ministers of ignoring international law, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Assange, 41, thanked his supporters and accused British authorities of threatening the Ecuadorean diplomatic corps and entering the building at night to try to arrest him.

"On Wednesday night, after a threat was sent to this embassy and the police descended on the building, you came out in the middle of the night to watch over it and you brought the world's eyes with you," he said. "If the U.K. did not throw away the Vienna Convention the other night that is because the world was watching."

He called on the United States to end a "witch hunt" against him, the Telegraph said.

Assange, who was granted asylum by Ecuador, could be arrested immediately if he leaves the embassy grounds.

Last week, Foreign Secretary William Hague warned Ecuadorean officials that police could enter the building and arrest someone wanted on criminal charges per British law.

The Ecuadorean government responded that Hague was ignoring the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations.

Topics: Julian Assange, William Hague
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