YouTube disables anti-police brutality channel at 3arabawy

YouTube disables anti-police brutality channel

Published by Hossam el-Hamalawy November 22nd, 2007 in Activism, Bloggers, Egypt مصر, Human Rights حقوق إنسان, Media, Video

I’ve just received the following message from blogger and friend Wael Abbas…

disaster: youtube disables my account claiming there were complaints about my police torture videos!!!

This is un-bloody-believable. YouTube has just disabled probably the most important channel for the Egyptian blogosphere. Wael’s videos have been central in the fight against police brutality, and YouTube should be proud the Egyptian anti-torture activists have been using its channels in the current War on Torture… but instead, the YouTube administrators played a cat-and-mouse game with us when it came it uploading Emad Kabeer’s videos, taking it down several times, then allowing it censored, then uncensored, then parts of it.. then they take it down, and then put it up again… which has been not the most user-friendly for the anti-torture bloggers when posting hyperlinks or embedding videos. The same troubles were also faced with other police brutality videos that bloggers tried uploading, like the woman murder suspect torture video.

[Wael during the 18 September 2006 anti-NDP protest, Tahrir Sq. Photo by Hossam el-Hamalawy]

It’s necessary at the moment to start diversifying the tools we use in uploading videos to the web. The response to the bullshit YouTube is throwing at us will be simply a slow migration from using its service…
I’m sure many of you are aware (and already using) other tools, including VEOH, Live Leak, Zippy Videos, etc…
I also invite you to check out THE HUB…

49 Responses to “YouTube disables anti-police brutality channel”

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1 Ahmed Elhadad Nov 22nd, 2007 at 5:51 am

youtube is suck !! they just care a bout sex & lesbians video !!!
2 Mostafa Hussein Nov 22nd, 2007 at 9:39 am

Well, the message from youtube is that waelabbas violated their terms of use.

This is actually true if you take a look at it. It states that content should follow the community guidelines[1]. In these community guidelines, there is this statement saying “Graphic or gratuitous violence is not allowed. If your video shows someone getting hurt, attacked, or humiliated, don’t post it.”

This actually means that any video aimed at displaying state violence or torture against civilians will eventually be removed.

Simply, this means that YouTube is NOT the proper tool for this job. And Waelabbas and others posting similar content, should look for a websites, that don’t have similar terms. Or a website that is activist friendly, something similar to Indymedia or others.

[1] http://www.youtube.com/t/community_guidelines
3 mohamed hassan Nov 22nd, 2007 at 10:24 am

this is so bad
what are you going to do?
i hope that this wont go on for long!!!
4 gamal Nov 22nd, 2007 at 2:49 pm

be free be free
5 Alif Nov 22nd, 2007 at 3:59 pm

Brian Whitaker mentioned this and your post.
Some poeple are suggesting that video’s should be posted in some proposed AmnestyTube.

Amensty’s!
Who looks at Amnesty’s site or videos?

Not the occasional surfer who thought of looking for clips on his next vacation spot.
Not the average Egyptian who didn’t know anything - or didn’t want to - about torture and who was just seeing what YouTube has on his country.
Only hardcore activists look at Amnesty’s; and even then only some of them.

As for Islamists shooting tourists; while I don’t have a reason to say videos dipicting these happenings shouldn’t be on any given video service, I can’t find a purpose for it! The actions are already condemned, and their commiters are considered renegades and prosecuted by law-enforcement. News stations lap after these clips.

On the other hand, going against the government and against those who should protect you - when you have to - is what needs this medium the most. Specially when a considerable sector of the population refused to acknowledge that this could merely happen, and with a local media that is so timid as to be the first to air such a clipping.
6 ali alzebak Nov 22nd, 2007 at 7:35 pm

نحن معاك يا استاذ وائل ونرفض منع عرض كليباتك على اليو توب
7 Ahmed Nabil Nov 24th, 2007 at 1:28 am

It seems that Youtube gonna be change the policy of it self.. so .. i think that little thing will not stop you Wael.. so.. GO AHEAD BRAKE A LEG.. Allah bless you
8 كنزو Nov 24th, 2007 at 10:19 am

انا مصرى بدبى وبكره مصر الله يحرقها بس برضه معاك يا وائل لانك راجل واعزرنى على اسلوبى بس لانى طهقان بجد حسبى له ونعم الوكيل
9 كيرلس بشري Nov 24th, 2007 at 11:05 pm

امر محزن جدا يا استاذ وائل بان تقوم تلك الشركات التي تنتمي الي العالم الديمقراطي بهذا الفعل الذي يدعو الي عدم الثقه في اي طرف وخصوصا في ظل هذا العالم المعقد والتوازنات والمصالح المتبادله ولكن هل تاكدت من السبب , عموما يمكن التحرك في عدة اتجاهات اولا : محاوله ليجاد بديل لموقع يوتوب للرفع وان يكون اثنان وليس واحد ثانيا : محاوله الاتصال ببعض الصحف الامريكيه وفضح ذلك الامر للراي العام الامريكي .
10 MED FAM Nov 25th, 2007 at 1:58 am

we all support your activity against the corupted system in Egypt, if you tube insist on baning your clips I and I beleive many of the free people who suffered from the Egyptian regim will also stop log to You tube forever as we repect that site . we all support you for repost your videoclip again.
medfam
11 طائر الحرية Nov 25th, 2007 at 8:07 am

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله
اانا معاك ياوائل وكلنا معاك انا عندى مدونة برضه لكن مش بعتمد فى نقل الفيديوهات على اليوتيوب بستخدم طريقة البلوج فى عرض الفيديوهات وبتكون بنفس الجودة والوضوح وانت برضه ممكن تحط كل الفيديوهات على البلوج بتاعك من غير حساب اليوتيوب فى الف مليون طريقة وبعدين الحركة المعرصة دى اللى عملتها اليوتيوب بتشكفلنا ان فى صفقة بينها وبين الحكومة الهبابية
تحياتى
12 mohamed Nov 25th, 2007 at 8:30 am

معاك ياباشا
13 C in Cairo Nov 26th, 2007 at 12:42 pm

http://hub.witness.org/

Welcome to the Hub — the world’s first participatory media site for human rights. Through the Hub, individuals, organizations, networks and groups around the world are able to bring their human rights stories and campaigns to global attention and to mobilize action to protect and promote human rights.
14 ahmad adel Nov 26th, 2007 at 9:32 pm

we are with you

It seems that Youtube gonna be change the policy of it self
15 بيسوا البوب Nov 26th, 2007 at 11:55 pm

الكلام دا كبير كبير اوى ياحماعه وارجوا ان يكون الاخير وايضا ارجو من الاستاذ وائل عبس ان يتخلى فى كلامه عن الكلامات الشاده مثل ااحه والكلام دا يعنى عيب عيب عليك ياوائل
16 hamed usa Nov 27th, 2007 at 3:22 am

محزن
17 qmb Nov 27th, 2007 at 8:10 pm

Use http://www.liveleak.com/ for your videos.
People all over the world see it.
18 eslam Nov 27th, 2007 at 10:17 pm

معاك على طول الخط
19 مش مهم Nov 27th, 2007 at 10:56 pm

معاك يا باشا و لو كنت عايز نقاطع يو تيوب نقاطعوه عشان خاطرك
20 joeytomatoes Nov 28th, 2007 at 1:26 am

Consider doing a podcast.
21 Mohamed E Nov 28th, 2007 at 12:01 pm

What did you expect, do not be fool with the US Democratic and Free Press face, it hides an ugly dictatorship face. I pet you they will never allow you back.
22 omar Nov 28th, 2007 at 5:21 pm

y???? youtube we were respecting u…….
23 wardany Nov 28th, 2007 at 9:10 pm

we all support your activity against the corupted system in Egypt, if you tube insist on baning your clips I and I beleive many of the free people who suffered from the Egyptian regim will also stop log to You tube forever as we repect that site . we all support you for repost your videoclip again.
medfam
24 jb Nov 29th, 2007 at 7:19 pm

The world needs more people like you! Thoughts from France.
25 john penn Nov 29th, 2007 at 10:46 pm

I have noticed that Youtube has not removed the Saddam foot torture whipping video. How inconsistent is that. Nice one YouTube. You just succumbed to an oppressive regimes will.
26 Ricardo Arrúa Nov 30th, 2007 at 6:13 am

Es una nueva demostración por parte de YoyTube.com y de Yahoo.com -que le suspendión el e-mal de su desprecio por los derechos humanos.
En Blogossfera -mi weblog- comento el echo:

YouTube.com censura videos que demuestran tortura policial en Egiptohttp://blogosfera-ar.blogspot.com/2007/11/youtubecom-censura-videos-que.html
27 Vincent Nov 30th, 2007 at 10:05 am

Youtube / Google are the worst, they argue and advertise about independance but cheat by ranking and, sometimes, like they did closed an account and you dissapear !
Who is behind ? no one knows ! but is there anyone who wants to know…
Vincent
28 tamer Dec 1st, 2007 at 8:53 pm

كل المصريين اللى يتمنوا الحريه لمصر من عصابة الاوغاد دى معاك يا وائل و اكيد هناك طريقه وان سأكون من اوائل الناس اللى مش حتزور الموقع ده تانى لانى كنت بزوره من اجل مدوناتك خاصة ان الموقع امريكى و الامريكان هم من وضعوا حسنى مبارك فى الحكم حتى الان
29 danoise Dec 2nd, 2007 at 9:12 pm

Hopefully this will change the way Youtube works. Let’s keep them in the news !!!
30 sabri Feb 20th, 2008 at 11:24 am

ارجو ان تكون قد قرات رواية مزرعة الحيوانات و الاخ الاكبر و 1984……المهم التعريص لا دين له و لك ان تعلم ان هؤلاء الاغبياء كمن اراد ان يسد شروخ السد المنهار باللبان ….السيل قادم قادم
31 shrief Mar 3rd, 2008 at 11:50 am

اديد ولاد المتناكة بتوع الحكومة هما السبب الله يلعن كسمهم وصلو التعريص و الكوسة لحد بلاد برة كمان

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