DMCA Takedown Notice and Response

On March 1st, Blogger sent an e-mail to YAF Watch informing us a DMCA takedown notice had been filed against the blog for allegedly violating copyright. The content in question, a press release by Young Americans for Freedom in support of Morgan Wilkins after she was fired for attempting to host "Catch an Illegal Immigrant Day" and "Fun with Guns", the latter featuring mock assassinations of Democratic political leaders; and Kyle Bristow's resume, detailing the work he had done in political campaigns with elected officials and candidates for public office.

Blogger has been notified, according to the terms of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), that certain content in your blog is alleged to infringe upon the copyrights of others. As a result, we have reset the post(s) to "draft" status. (If we did not do so, we would be subject to a claim of copyright infringement, regardless of its merits. The URL(s) of the allegedly infringing post(s) may be found at the end of this message.) This means your post - and any images, links or other content - is not gone. You may edit the post to remove the offending content and republish, at which point the post in question will be visible to your readers again...



A bit of background: the DMCA is a United States copyright law that provides guidelines for online service provider liability in case of copyright infringement. If you believe you have the rights to post the content at issue here, you can file a counter-claim. For more information on our DMCA policy, including how to file a counter-claim, please see http://www.google.com/dmca.html.

The notice that we received, with any personally identifying information removed, will be posted online by a service called Chilling Effects at http://www.chillingeffects.org

. We do this in accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). You can search for the DMCA notice associated with the removal of your content by going to the Chilling Effects search page at http://www.chillingeffects.org/search.cgi, and entering in the URL of the blog post that was removed. If it is brought to our attention that you have republished the post without removing the content/link in question, then we will delete your post and count it as a violation on your account. Repeated violations to our Terms of Service may result in further remedial action taken against your Blogger account including deleting your blog and/or terminating your account. If you have legal questions about this notification, you should retain your own legal counsel.

Sincerely,

The Blogger Team

Affected URLs:

http://yafwatch.blogspot.com/2007/06/kyle-bristows-resume.html
http://yafwatch.blogspot.com/2007/06/yafs-support-of-ousted-republican.html"

The DMCA Takedown Notices have not appeared on the website provided and efforts to reach Blogger to get a copy have been ignored. The lack of response makes us believe Blogger is acting in bad faith. We categorically deny there are any violations of DMCA based on the two cited urls, and believe this is an attempt to limit legitimate free speech about MSU-YAF's white nationalist behavior and views.

The affected urls have been republished and screenshots of the reported material are posted below.

Ryan Sorba's Anti-Gay Comments Mocked on Daily Show

Around 4:30 in this clip Ryan Sorba is mocked by Jon Stewart for his CPAC rant against GOProud.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
CPAC 2010 - Rage Within the Machine
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MSU-YAF Directly Tied to Canceled Nick Griffin Event at Kenyon College in Ohio

UPDATE- Taylor Somers responds, posted at end of article

Taylor Somers, President of the Robert A. Taft Society, the group that was to host Nick Griffin, revealed a connection to MSU-YAF in a recent interview with the Kenyon Collegian student newspaper.

Somers said he was contacted by an acquaintance at Michigan State University who had invited Griffin to speak there two years ago. He informed Somers that Griffin was in the U.S. and would be willing to speak at Kenyon for free. "I said yes at the time because … we get this fairly high-profile speaker, controversial figure free of charge and we figured things are pretty boring around here politically, let's shake them up a bit," Somers said. "Little did we know that it would shake things up quite as much as it did."

Nick Griffin was invited to speak by the Young Americans for Freedom on October 26th, 2007.


A request for comment from MSU Sons of Liberty was not answered. Kyle Bristow, Chair of MSU-YAF at the time of Nick Griffin's visit, refused to speak about the matter.

Taylor Somers, President of the Robert A. Taft Society responded.

I'd be happy to help you out, but considering the backlash that arose from the whole incident I might be taking liberties with the safety of others were I to identify exactly who told us about Griffin's being available to speak. It was out of concern for the safety of students and faculty, and sensitivity to the objections of the school and student body, that we decided to cancel the event in the first place and apologize for any offense that may have been taken; I would not wish to cause anyone else any more distress, or put anyone else's safety at risk, as I understand there are people who wish harm to those who bring, or otherwise aid in bringing, controversial speakers like Griffin to speak.

While I appreciate your efforts, I think it would be inappropriate for me to single someone else out for blame in this regard and don't wish to make anyone else a target for abuse or potential violence. I'd like to get on with life as usual, especially non-political life, and, lessons learned, mend fences and move on to more positive projects. I've stepped away from political advocacy/involvement, largely if not mostly because some positions I've taken have, without my intention, caused me to be associated with people with whom I have no desire to be associated (as evidenced by some screenshots from my Facebook page, taken before I had the chance to remove such people and comments). Anyway, I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help; I just wanted to register my good will and give a (hopefully) reasonable explanation of why I'd rather not breach confidentiality in this case. I hope you understand and wish all the best; please let me know if there is any other way I can be of assistance.

Cal-YAF's Ryan Sorba Booed at CPAC for Anti-Gay Remarks

Ryan Sorba, who gave a speech titled "The Born Gay Hoax" at Michigan State in 2007, was booed at CPAC when he condemned the presence of GOProud, a conservative Republican group for homosexuals.




Talking Points Memo has the story here.


Ryan Sorba's Speech at MSU in 2007

Nick Griffin Speech Canceled at MSU

MSU Sons of Liberty have announced the cancellation of the Nick Griffin speech. The speech, which was to have taken place in the Union, was canceled when the Kenyon College and Amren stops has been canceled.


Nick Griffin Events Cancelled [sic] Due to Threats of Violence

For Immediate Release:
February 15, 2010
Jordan Zammit
President and Founder,
MSU Sons of Liberty
MSUSonsOfLiberty@gmail.com

The newly-formed registered student organization at Michigan State University, the Sons of Liberty, cancelled [sic] its first public event. Nick Griffin, a democratically-elected member of the European Parliament and chairman of the British National Party, was scheduled to speak at MSU on February 18 regarding the fraud of man-made global warming. The event was cancelled because left-wing agitators caused other organizations to cancel their own events that featured Griffin, and it could not be justified for Griffin to fly to the U.S. to only speak at MSU and at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C.

After a synopsis of Griffin’s schedule was released to the media, left-wing agitators relentlessly threatened with violence and death the organizers of the events. This caused Taylor Somers, the leader of Kenyon College’s conservative Robert A. Taft Society, to cancel his club’s event out of concern for safety of his fellow students. It was confirmed that Griffin would not come to the U.S. after leftists successfully caused three hotels to rescind their offers to allow the biyearly American Renaissance conference from being hosted at their properties.

Griffin could not afford to spend time in the U.S. to only speak at MSU and at CPAC when he could otherwise spend his time campaigning for a seat in the U.K. Parliament. The Sons of Liberty does not fault him for canceling his trip to the U.S., and the student organization looks forward to hosting him—hopefully as M.P. Nick Griffin—when he next crosses the pond.

Jordan Zammit, the founder and president of the Sons of Liberty, said, “The Left does a very good job of advocating free speech for themselves while denying it to others. I am very proud to say that the Sons of Liberty, in its inaugural run, did what it was meant to do and that is ensure that all points of view are presented and that the first amendment is upheld for ALL people to the fullest. If the other speaking venues would not have canceled and his speaking tour called off, I can assure you Mr. Griffin would have been here Thursday afternoon as scheduled, intimidation or not.”

The BNP-U.S. liaison is planning to file a complaint with the United States Department of Justice because elements of the Left conspired to deprive American citizens of their First Amendment right to peacefully assemble and participate in political discourse, which is in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 241. That federal law states that “If two or more persons conspire to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person in any State . . . in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or because of his having exercised the same; they shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.”

Zammit also said, “Although Griffin was targeted in Sweden with assassination by leftists when they tried to bomb the train he was riding on in 2006, members of the Sons of Liberty were not—and are not—afraid of the red menace. My organization is made up of common sense young men and women, both considerably liberal and conservative, of numerous races and creeds, whom all believe that the rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution are something sacred, and that no matter who is speaking, he or she has every right to, and whether you agree with them or not, it can never hurt to listen.”

In an interview with Michigan Messenger, Jordan Zammit said no direct threats of violence were made regarding to stop at MSU, but the cancellation had to do with Griffin not coming to the United States just for two stops at MSU and CPAC.

Another Nick Griffin speech ended as American Renaissance Conference is canceled

The Southern Poverty Law Center is reporting that the American Renaissance Conference, a gathering of white nationalists, was canceled after activists persuaded Washington D.C. area hotels not to host the group.

Nick Griffin was scheduled to speak. As reported earlier by One People's Project, the Kenyon College stop was canceled earlier today. That leaves Griffin with the MSU speech and the alleged visit to CPAC.

From the Southern Poverty Law Center's Hate Watch Blog

According to an E-mail sent today and signed by Jared Taylor, head of the white nationalist American Renaissance, the group will not be holding its 2010 conference. The conferences are usually a major hit in white nationalist circles and feature as speakers prominent white supremacists, academic racists and other extremists from around the world.

In the past few weeks, anti-racist activists had already persuaded two Washington D.C.-area hotels to cancel their contracts with American Reniassance. Taylor’s E-mail claims that the third hotel scheduled to hold the event, the Four Points Sheraton at the Manassas Battlefield, cancelled because “Hostile callers phoned the hotel and threatened employees with death.” A hotel representative refused to speak on the record about what led to the cancellation but did verify to Hatewatch that the event was cancelled.

Meanwhile, one of the participants scheduled to speak at American Renaissance, Nick Griffin, who has denied the Holocaust and heads the racist British National Party, was disinvited from a speaking engagement at Kenyon College in Gambler, Ohio. Griffin was asked to speak at the campus by Taylor Somers, a student and head of the Robert A. Taft Society there.

Somers put out a statement apologizing profusely for the invite and thanking his fellow students for showing “we were on the wrong course.” Somers promised to “embark on a path of radical self-examination” and claimed “I’m not a bigot, fascist, or totalitarian, but rather, perhaps, more of a contrarian.” “The Taft Society will exercise better and more sensitive judgment with regard to who we bring to campus,” Somers promised.

Nick Griffin Kenyon College Stop Canceled

One People's Project is reporting that Taylor Summers, leader of the Robert A. Taft Society that invited Griffin, had rescinded the invitation and that the event was no longer going to happen.

From One People's Project

TAYLOR SOMERS STATEMENT: KENYON COLLEGE INVITE TO NICK GRIFFIN WITHDRAWN

If Nick Griffin is still able to keep his date with Michigan State University on Thursday, he can now go straight from there to Washington DC. He was supposed to speak at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio that evening, but after much controversy, that school is not going to host him anymore. Taylor Somers, whom we have written about a bit in the past few days, sent us a statement explaining about why he recinded the offer to Griffin today (Feb. 15). Obviously there's more than a few people we have been wrestling around with over the past few weeks that are not going to be pleased about all of this but hey, that's just the way it is. We must say, this week has only just begun, and by the end of it there are going to be a lot of people who might start rethinking the political paths they choose to take. We want to extend a shout-out to the Kenyon College community who are signing up to our Facebook, Twitter and MySpace page, and say to them to stay on board and continue the dialouge. It's the only way to keep idiots like Griffin from running things.

Taylor Somers

We have been in communication with Campus Safety, and we have come to a consensus regarding the upcoming Griffin event. While we had wanted to shake things up, the reaction against the event has been compelling. The possibility of violence, or at least unintentional injury, to Kenyon students at such an event outweighs, we feel, any contribution that could be gained from having Griffin speak. Never have we intended to incite violence or to otherwise provide an atmosphere in which it becomes at all likely. With Campus Safety's advice in mind, and as members of the Kenyon community, we must take it upon ourselves to do the right thing and ensure no one is injured. It isn't worth the possibility of violence or the further pain that will almost certainly be caused, so with those concerns in mind we have cancelled.

The hurt that this controversy has already caused is palpable. There is a rift, an upset in the Kenyon community, and I will accept personal responsibility for that as I think a sense of honor compels me. It was never my intention to cause such a hurt, and so I think the only decent option is to minimize it at this point. It saddens me that many of those with whom I've been on friendly terms are now at odds with me. I would like to apologize to those offended or who feel or felt threatened by the immanent presence of Nick Griffin, who I have never claimed did not say many things that were wrong in the past and present. Your passioned appeals, along with the concerns for the safety and integrity of this school and those who attend it, have persuaded me that we were on the wrong course. I am attempting to right that course now.

As for my own views which were dragged into all of this, I intend to embark on a path of radical self-examination. Those who know me personally will recognize I'm not a bigot, fascist, or totalitarian, but rather, perhaps, more of a contrarian (yet one who believes in a free society, even though we may find difficulty agreeing on what that is). Some of that which I have written over the past day and night could be described as knee-jerk reaction to being attacked personally, and I can recognize failures in my own judgment due to that fact. I think I have been beholden to a more abstract and theoretical point of view than is merited by real life, as has been made clear over the course of this trouble. I only ask that it not be assumed I am insincere in this appeal. I am being sincere, and I humbly submit my apologies to those of you voicing your legitimate concerns who I have attacked for recognizing my failures in judgment before I saw them myself.

I realize this has been difficult, and has created a rift. I'm willing to try to correct that, to learn a lesson, and go on with life, if you're all willing to go on with life as well. I'll not go out in search of controversy or extreme methods to incite discussion, however curious I may be. The Taft Society will exercise better and more sensitive judgment with regard to who we bring to campus. I should really thank you all for persuading us toward the right course of action, and indeed I do thank you for that.

With Best Wishes,
Taylor Somers
Robert A. Taft Society