“Free Assange” protesters were arrested just before the party at the palace

Protesters wearing ‘Free Assange’ shirts were arrested just before the start of the Queen’s Platinum Party at the Palace in The Mall.

One man was pinned to the ground and handcuffed while eight officers surrounded him.

Another man wearing a Guy Fawkes mask was also arrested by police at the same location near Buckingham Palace.

Next to the scuffle was a poster that read “Free Assange” – calling for the release of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

The 50-year-old Australian activist has been in Belmarsh maximum security prison since 2019.

He had spent seven years in the Ecuadorian embassy before finally being forced into British police custody.

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court formally ordered Assange’s extradition to the US, where he is wanted on alleged conspiracy to disclose national defense information.

The charges came after Wikileaks released hundreds of thousands of leaked documents related to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

A crowd of 20,000 attended the Platinum Party at the Palace tonight to celebrate 70 years of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign.

The star-studded line-up included Diana Ross, Craig David, Hans Zimmer, Diversity and Queen (the band).

There was a pre-taped performance by Sir Elton John, while stars including Sir David Attenborough, Emma Raducanu, David Beckham, Stephen Fry, Dame Julie Andrews, The Royal Ballet and Ellie Simmonds will also make appearances.

The Queen also showed off her acting skills by staring into a skit with none other than Paddington Bear.

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