Pink Floyd calls for Julian Assange's release by playing hit track at rally

Pink Floyd star Roger Waters has called for the release of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange during a performance outside the Home Office, Metro reports.

The singer and bass guitarist played his former band's hit track Wish You Were Here at a rally in aid of Assange, who was jailed in May.

Speaking to the crowd from a makeshift stage on Monday, Waters said: "Julian Assange, we are with you. Free Julian Assange."

Before his performance, Waters claimed the Australian is "locked up" 23 hours a day.

He said: "How do we put ourselves in the position of a Julian Assange in solitary confinement, or with that kid in Syria or Palestine or Rohingya, being blown to bits by these people in this building here?

"How do we put ourselves in the position of the parents of that child who will spend the rest of his life on crutches?

"It is called empathy and it is the most valuable thing any human being can possess in their lives."

Assange was jailed for 50 weeks earlier this year for breaching his bail conditions by going into hiding in the Ecuadorian embassy.