Much has been said about Wikileaks whistleblower Juliane Assange in the political sphere... but what has happened just steps away from where he sleeps?
By: Gisella A. Rojas
This is a story of a corner, a very particular one, which contains the most famous balcony in London, after Buckingham Palace, of course. Flat 3B, Knightsbridge has been Julian Assange’s home for the last 6 years.
From the eyes of the world, he's been described as everything you can possibly think of: a hacker, a journalist, a rapist, a persecuted, a criminal, a messenger, a hero.
However; there are some voices missing…What about the people who have lived in front, under or next to him? His presence not only has affected the next door neighbors, but also it has transformed the Embassy of a tiny developing country like Ecuador into a landmark.
The streets of Knightsbridge are home to royalty, sheiks surrounded by luxury, money and high surveillance and then there’s the last standers, Assange supporters who
camp on the pavement and call for his freedom.
Certainly not at all a dull neighborhood or as a colleague from the Embassy of Colombia once said to the, then, Ambassador of Ecuador Fidel Narváez: "This neighborhood was very boring until you finally brought it to life".
Let’s take a walk through it.
Juliane Assange is the Wikileaks founder and the publisher of some of the world’s most closely guarded official secrets. Art : @solevf
Juliane Assange is the Wikileaks founder and the publisher of some of the world’s most closely guarded official secrets. Art : @solevf
It’s summer, a major clue as to why Knightsbridge has
become ‘London’s Little Arabia’. Every year, after the end of Ramadan, the pavements change language, says Jimmy, an artist who paints Arab leaders on this corner.
Just 40 feet away from the Ecuadorian Embassy, we find Harrods, the most popular department store in London, and the one that is own by a country: Qatar.
While in Assange’s building, one can observe particular neighbors accompanied by their bodyguards who carry their heavy bags; they are the Qatari princesses (or so many people say) and like any other Middle East visitors they come here to shop!
The Ecuadorian
The unusual bucket list
O ne should keep in mind that however Harrods is not only place generating buzz among tourist Julian Assange's balcony is generating one of its own.
Although there are not specific statistics about how many people come to visit the Ecuadorian Embassy, It takes just a quick search for the location on Instagram to find thousands of pictures under captions like "visiting my boy Assange", "checking in with my old mate Julian", "Julian, where are you?"
It's not difficult to spot tourists from all over the world holding their selfie sticks in front of the balcony.
This is how I came to meet a traveler from Germany by the name of Jam Meyer who specifically came to this now trendy tourist attraction. I asked him why and this is what he said: “On the top of my bucket list was to visit the Ecuadorian Embassy because it is a point of world politics..."
The same behavior repeats over and over again, but on this occasion Giovanni, a tourist from Italy, doesn't get it right. At first he stood outside the Colombian Embassy, thinking that he was in front of the right one. A mistake that many tourist commit because of the resemblance of both countries flag.
“I went to Harrods first, then I came outside and I saw the other flag, I thought that that was the Ecuadorian Embassy (...)”, he says while examines the balcony.
And adds:
“I have seen this embassy many times in television with a crowd watching the speeches of Assange, so I wanted to take a picture to send to my friends (...)”
After Giovanni and his father took a few photographs, (this time) with the real Ecuadorian flag, they leave without seeing Assange or his cat...like many many other tourist.
Instagram's screenshot of the many tourist that had upload their photo with the Ecuadorian Embassy.
Instagram's screenshot of the many tourist that had upload their photo with the Ecuadorian Embassy.
Instagram's screenshot of the many tourist that had upload their photo with the Ecuadorian Embassy.
Instagram's screenshot of the many tourist that had upload their photo with the Ecuadorian Embassy.
The last followers standing
This corner is also home to the “last standers”, or as a Harrods security guard has christened them ‘The Avengers’. Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, for two hours the most loyal Assange followers stand in front of the embassy with placards.
Sometimes there are six of them, four, or even one. This scene makes Knightsbridge live under a paradox. Although is one of the most expensive places to live in London, according to the UK House Price Index of June 2018, Kensington and Chelsea leads the range of priciest places to live in London due of the average price of $1, 154, 270.
You can still spot a lot of protest or 'The Avengers' passing the night in the streets.
Nonetheless, this exclusive neighborhood manages to mix two opposites realities. On one hand, you can see the most luxuriousness cars, while in the other, you can see Robin Hillman’s car.
He is a devoted disciple of Assange who has been living close to Kensington for the last 20 years, and whenever he has free time he parks his peculiar car in front of the Ecuadorian Embassy.
Assange's next door neighbours
Although the supporters are often close from Assange’s corner, none of them are as close as the following characters. I’m talking about the people who sleeps just a few feet away from that famous Balcony, Assange’s next door neighbors.
On 2012 when his asylum was granted, Karim from Paris moved to an apartment located diagonally from the Ecuadorian Embassy. Now, both of them share the same anniversary.
His apartment window, he describes, has a VIP view “I see a lot of Julian Assange supporters, fans, living around the corner (...)”
But some may wonder: What is it like to live near the Wikileaks Founder? I asked and the response was: “It doesn't really change anything because we don't really see him at all”.
On the other side of the street, lives Felicity Trew, and for her, Assange’s presence did change everything ….. The place she has lived since 1972.
“It's been very inconvenient and I am very annoyed about it, because I consider him a criminal” . She's also not happy (to say the least) about Assange supporters :
“I mentioned to a couple of police man recently about the noise of the people that protest (...) ”.
Priya, a neighbour who has lived below Assange's apartment for the past four years, seems to be enjoying it: “I think is really interesting to be honest… there is never a dull moment at all”.
Through the walls
Now you have come to know this corner from the outside, but it is time to get inside. While everyone thinks they know who Julian Assange is, there is someone who spent 6 years with him.
Fidel Narváez, who at the time was the Consul of Ecuador, remembers with excitement and nostalgia the 19th of June of 2012, the day that Assange came in.
For the Ecuadorian Embassy there is before Assange and after Assange. He explains why.
- The embassy room had to be transformed for Assange’s arrival. In the beginning Assange had to sleep on an inflatable mattress because there was not bedroom furniture.
- Initially, all the food was purchased in fast food places, but this wasn’t considered a healthy diet, particularly for someone who can’t go outside to
exercise. Now someone prepares his food every week. - After the third month of Julian's stay, a 24-hour guardianship was installed inside the embassy, with British Police officers stationed outside the embassy.
During the first years the embassy was very busy with many artists, supporters,reporters visiting. However things have changed. In March this year (2018)Ecuador blocked Assange from accessing the internet or receiving visitors.Effectively in solitary confinement, Narvaez believes Assange reads a lot.
Duringthe six years the former consul and wikileaks founder built a closerelationship.
He talks about it in our phone call.
It’s possible that London’s Little Arabia may not be around when the summer ends, another winter is coming, while everything in that corner changes, there is a question that remains:
When will Julian Assange come out?
The only thing certain about it, is that Flat 3B, Knightsbridge might never be the same again.
