(ROUGH CUT ONLY - NO REPORTER NARRATION)<br/> <br />New Yorkers in support of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange came out on Thursday (August 16) to show their appreciation for the Ecuadorian government.<br/> <br />Ecuador granted political asylum to Assange earlier in the day after it said Britain had threatened to raid the Ecuadorian embassy in London to arrest the former hacker.<br/> <br />A dozen supporters carrying signs and flowers lined up outside the Ecuadorian consulate in New York.<br/> <br />SOUNDBITE: NANCY VANNESS, ASSANGE SUPPORTER, SAYING (English):<br/> <br />"I appreciate the work that has been done by WIkiLeaks and Julian Assange has certainly been WikiLeaks. So I am grateful for that. I don't know anything about him personally and I just think he deserves protection as a journalist that he's never been offered."<br/> <br />Later the group were invited into the consulate, where they gave officials flowers.<br/> <br />Jorge Lopez, consul of Ecuador in New York, said they were invited into the building as the consul wanted to express their thanks.<br/> <br />Assange has been holed up inside Ecuador's embassy in central London for eight weeks since he lost a legal battle to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted for accusations of rape and sexual assault.
