Stop the Facebook Purge!

We demand the reinstatement of all the political Facebook accounts blocked in the run-up to the royal wedding, and that Facebook release an official apology to all those affected.

As the media gather to celebrate the nuptials of our aristo overlords and the police pre-emptively cleanse London, making arrests under the new unpublicised thought crime ‘suspicion of being an anarchist’, Facebook has joined in the crackdown by blocking political accounts. HThe following accounts have been blocked in the 12 hours leading up to the royal wedding:

Open Birkbeck
UWE Occupation
Chesterfield Stopthecuts
Camberwell AntiCuts
IVA Womensrevolution
Tower Hamlets Greens
No Cuts
ArtsAgainst Cuts
London Student Assembly
Beat’n Streets
Roscoe ‘Manchester’ Occupation
Bristol Bookfair
Newcastle Occupation
Socialist Unity
Whospeaks Forus
Ourland FreeLand
Bristol Ukuncut
Teampalestina Shaf
Notts-Uncut Part-of UKUncut
No Quarter Cutthewar
Bootle Labour
Claimants Fightback
Ecosocialists Unite
Comrade George Orwell
Jason Derrick
Anarchista Rebellionist
BigSociety Leeds
Slade Occupation
Anti-Cuts Across Wigan
Firstof Mayband
Don’t Break Britain United
Cockneyreject
SWP Cork
Westiminster Trades Council
York Anarchists
Rock War
Sheffield Occupation
Central London SWP
North London Solidarity
Southwark Sos
Save NHS
Rochdale Law Centre
Goldsmiths Fights Back

The Facebook statement of rights and responsibilities reveals that the threat of deletion is constantly hovering over the heads of anyone who dares to participate in social media without fully revealing their identity – “use of a fake name” is among the violations that can lead to accounts being deleted – but it is clear that this recent wave of shutdowns is politically motivated, part of a network of repression designed to stifle protest.

Unfortunately, should you take issue with Facebook’s corporate policies, all grievances must according to our tacit agreement be pursued through California law courts (see FB statement of rights). As total transparency is demanded of us through our participation in social media, the people who dictate its terms hide behind legal firewalls.

The mainstream media has celebrated how protestors in the Middle East have used social media to organise revolution – now let’s see if the same pundits who were excited by Tahrir on Twitter speak up to defend UK-based activists who are now to be barred from organising and discussing via supposedly liberatory social media mechanisms.

More here.

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  1. David MacGille-Mhuire says:

    Surprise, suprise?

  2. David MacGille-Mhuire says:

    Sorry about typos – recovering from self-medicating antidotes to MSM viral coverage of the “royal” sham.

    No surprise here – generations of evidence mapping these kind of oppressive hypocrisies. However, this does not excuse Facebook’s censoring – appalling.

  3. OllieGarkey says:

    Bella, I tend to lurk your blog a lot. I just wanted to drop this comment and say thanks. I linked to this entry in my most recent Diary at the American blogging site Daily Kos. I’m trying to keep my fellow Americans informed on the happenings of UK Politics, especially when there’s an Election going on.

    Thought you might want to know.

    Link.

    1. bellacaledonia says:

      Hi Ollie, come out of lurking mode and join the debate. Thanks for the link.

  4. Stourley Kracklite says:

    I condemn Facebook’s censorship of these groups. I also do not agree with the use of an image suggesting that a bullet has been fired at Facebook. The implication of violence is will justify to the Right preemptive attack.

  5. Ray Bell says:

    Facebook is a means of gleaning saleable marketing information. I don’t use it, and don’t intend to.

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