Ben Shephard interrupted Dame Vivienne Westwood on today’s Good Morning Britain, as she discussed her protest against the US extradition of Julian Assange.
Assange is being held in a UK prison, HMP Belmarsh, on remand following a US extradition warrant.
The 79-year-old fashion designer decided to suspend in a 10ft high birdcage in central London earlier today, to make a statement against his extradition.
Speaking passionately on the show, Vivienne joined Ben and Kate Garraway via video call from outside the Old Bailey.
She said: “He’s been trapped and its a collusion of all the governments involved.”
Ben Shephard interrupted Dame Vivienne Westwood on today’s Good Morning Britain (Image: ITV)
Before adding: “It’s a set up organised by the CIA.”
Dame Vivienne also suggested Assange was vital in giving whistleblowers a platform, saying: “He did an amazing thing when he in 2006 established Wikileaks as a safe haven for whistleblowers.”
She went on: “There’s a whole illegal thing going on here. If the embassy had given him political asylum and the English ignored the fact that he had political asylum and said ‘no we’re going to arrest you on the fake bail charge’.”
(Image: X80003)
Ben clashed with her, replying: “The Ecuadorian embassy did offer him political asylum for a long time and the ambassador of Ecuador at the end did call him a spoilt brat for some of his behaviour.”
Vivienne snapped back: “To stay in the embassy, that’s the last thing he wanted to do.”
Ben repeatedly tried to interrupt her, attempting to dig deeper for more answers about the protest as he started by saying “can you explain…”.
Dame Vivienne discussed her protest against the US extradition of Julian Assange (Image: ITV)
Vivienne went on: “He got no sun. He’s in a terrible state. He wanted to go to Ecuador but he wasn’t allowed.”
However, things turned particularly awkward when Ben interrupted her mid-flow, speaking over her to find out why she was climbing into the cage.
He interjected: “Can you explain a little bit about why you’re climbing into the cage? Can you explain what the metaphor behind the stunt is and what you’re trying to achieve today.”
Kate Garraway eventually decided to shut the interview down (Image: ITV)
Silenced by Ben, Vivienne eventually replied: “I am Julian Assange, I am the canary in the cage, he has been trapped by a big net.
“Taken out of the sun and shoved in a cage. And the problem is they want to send him to America for a sentence of 175 years and stick him in a concrete block for a jail.”
Eventually bringing the interview to a close, Kate added: “You’ve made your point very clearly this morning.”
Later, the cameras returned to the Old Bailey, showing the fashion matriarch clambering inside the cage in a gesture of activism.
Good Morning Britain airs on weekdays at 6am on ITV
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
