This week the 32 County Sovereignty Movement has faced more censorship online, this time on the YouTube platform.
We received an email from YouTube on Monday morning stating ‘We have reviewed your content and found severe or repeated violations of our violent criminal organizations policy. Because of this, we have removed your channel from YouTube.’
An appeal was lodged were we asked which material violated the policies. The response cited two videos, one the commemoration for Vol Alan Ryan from 2023 and the second a commemoration for Vol Ronán MacLochlainn in 2021.
We received a further reply in regards the appeal for our channel being shutdown which stated- ‘We have reviewed your channel carefully and confirmed that it violates our violent criminal organisations policy.’ This is a stark contrast to the latest email from YouTube, received last night and saying- ‘We’re pleased to let you know that we’ve recently reviewed your YouTube account, and after taking another look, we can confirm that it is not in violation of our Terms of Service. We have lifted the suspension of your account, and it is once again active and operational.’
This complete U-Turn from YouTube raises the questions why ban and censor it in the first place and on whose orders?
The sister of Ronán MacLochlainn, Grainne, naturally hurt and angered over this has issued the following message-
" Oglach Rónán Mac Lochlainn was a lifelong Republican whose main objective was to free Ireland from British rule. Taking down commemorative videos under the guise of violent criminal organisations is akin to calling the hungerstrikers criminals in 1980/81. The actions of Thatcher and the British government inspired Rónán to learn, train, and take up arms. Calling Republican Volunteers criminals will awaken the need for justice and freedom in many young men and women. Beir Bua."
There are no truer words.
Our channel has been opened once again on YouTube, however, the commemoration videos originally mentioned are still down with further videos removed last night and today-all relating to Alan Ryan and Ronán MacLochlainn commemorations.
