Video: Julian Assange speaks to the media and supporters

London - Julian Assange came to the balcony of the Ecuador Embassy in the plush London suburb of Knightsbridge, not far from the world famous Harrods department store.

Supporters, waiting for Julian Assange, chanted “I’m Julian” and “No extradition”. Julian appeared on the balcony smartly dressed, wearing a shirt and tie and with short cropped hair at about 2:23pm London time. He did a thumbs up sign with his left hand. The speech lasted about ten minutes in total. He then went back inside the embassy. He praised Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru and Venezuela for defending the right to asylum. He praised the people of the US, UK and Australia who have supported him in strength “even when their government’s have not.” He assured his family and children - who have been denied a father, that they would be reunited soon. The US must renounce the “witchhunt against Wikileaks.” He said. He criticized the US saying that it must not prosecute journalists for shining a light on the secret crimes of the powerful and that the US administration war on whistle blowers must end. “Bradley Manning must be released” he said and described him as a “hero” if he did what it is claimed.