Irish Republican News · March 27, 2025

Online censorship linked to criminalisation agenda

The 32 County Sovereignty Movement has hit out after moves by Google LLC to implement anti-republican censorship on its YouTube platform.

A note from the organisation cited videos of two commemorations of Real IRA members who were shot dead in 1998 and 2012 violated its “violent criminal organizations policy”.

The commemorations for Alan Ryan from 2023 and for Ronán MacLochlainn in 2021 are typical of republican memorial events, with the latter actually restricted due to Covid. But the action meant the 32 County Sovereignty Movement, a political organisation founded in 1997, had its channel entirely shut down.

An appeal was lodged and rejected, before the channel was restored, but without the supposedly offending videos.

In a statement, the 32CSM said: “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, expressed her hurt and anger.

She said: “Óglach 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.”

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