‘Free Assange’ protesters arrested on The Mall right before Party at the Palace

The scuffle broke out just a stone’s throw away from Buckingham Palace (Picture: Reuters)

Protesters wearing ‘Free Assange’ t-shirts were arrested on The Mall just moments before the Queen’s Platinum Party at the Palace began.

One man was pictured being pinned down on the ground and handcuffed as eight officers surrounded him.

Another man wearing a Guy Fawkes mask was also detained by police in the same spot close to Buckingham Palace.

Beside the scuffle was a placard saying ‘Free Assange’ – demanding the release of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

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

He’d spent seven years in the Ecuadorian embassy before eventually being forced out into the custody of UK police.

Earlier this year the High Court formally ordered Assange to be extradited to the US, where he’s wanted for an alleged conspiracy to disclose national defence information.

A group of eight police officers were pictured surrounding one man as he was pinned to the ground (Picture: Reuters)

Demonstrators were wearing ‘Free Assange’ t-shirts (Picture: Reuters)

Another protester was wearing a Guy Fawkes mask, which has come to represent the hacktivist movement Anonymous (Picture: Reuters)

Activists demanded the freedom of Julian Assange, who is set to be extradited from the UK to the US (Picture: Reuters)

The charge came after Wikileaks published hundreds of thousands of leaked documents relating to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

A crowd of 20,000 people attended tonight’s Platinum Party at the Palace, celebrating Queen Elizabeth II’s 70-year reign.

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

There was a pre-recorded performance from 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 appeared.

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

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Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee 2022

Dust off your Union Jack bunting, Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee is well and truly upon us.

Taking place from Thursday, June 2, to Sunday, June 5, the celebrations mark Her Majesty's record-breaking 70th year on the throne.

Across the UK, there will be street parties, concerts, and other special events attended by the Queen and senior members of the Royal Family.

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Visit Metro.co.uk's Platinum Jubilee page for all the latest updates.

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