TORONTO, ON Oct. 9. 2008 – The Catholic Civil Rights League (www.ccrl.ca) has called on the executive of You Tube to remove a series of videos that claim to depict the planned and deliberate desecration of the Holy Eucharist. The League also hopes that as many people as possible will participate in the protest until the videos are removed. 

Thanks to concerted protest, including a flagging campaign by other You Tube members, the videos were removed on Oct. 1 with a notation that they violate the site’s terms of use, but were reinstated shortly afterward. You Tube’s guidelines state that videos are inappropriate and can be removed when they attack or demean a group based on race or ethnic origin, religion, disability, gender, age, veteran status, and sexual orientation/gender identity; and also if they are made only for shock value.

We don’t pretend to know how these videos could be unacceptable one day but not the next; either one employee has no idea what a colleague is doing, or more senior officers reconsidered their decision and decided not to show Catholics the same courtesy they have shown other faiths in the past. (As we pointed out in our latest communication with them, recent videos showing desecration of a Holocaust memorial were quite properly removed.) 

If you are a You Tube user, or have family members who are, please participate in the flagging campaign. Let You Tube know these videos are unacceptable. Company e-mails include press@youtube.com and filmz@youtube.com.

You can contact You Tube by postal mail at:
Mr. Chad Hurley
Chief Executive Officer
You Tube LLC
901 Cherry Ave.
San Bruno, CA
94066

General phone #: 650-253-0000

About CCRL
 
Catholic Civil Rights League (www.ccrl.ca) assists in creating conditions within which Catholic teachings can be better understood, cooperates with other organizations in defending civil rights in Canada, and opposes defamation and discrimination against Catholics on the basis of their beliefs. CCRL was founded in 1985 as an independent lay organization and has chapters across Canada. The Catholic Civil Rights League is a Canadian non-profit organization entirely supported by the generosity of its members.

For further information: Joanne McGarry, Executive Director, 416-466-8244; joanne.mcgarry@ccrl.ca