A music video produced by singer John Ondrasik that criticized President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan was removed and reinstated by YouTube, highlighting concerns about whether the Google-owned platform is censoring dissenting viewpoints.
“I have just received notification that @YouTube has taken down the ‘Blood on My Hands’ – White House Docu-Music video,” he wrote on Twitter. “Blood on My Hands” received more than 250,000 views on YouTube in five days before it was taken down, he told news outlets.
“Before posting, I placed a ‘Graphic Warning’ disclaimer at the front of the video to let the audience know that the content would not be suitable for younger audiences due to images of Taliban atrocities,” remarked Ondrasik. “YouTube reviewed the video and inserted a child content restriction which I appreciated and found appropriate.”
Last week, YouTube confirmed in a Twitter post that it reinstated the video.
The exact reason why or how it was taken down is not clear, and The Epoch Times has contacted YouTube for additional comment.
Ondrasik wrote that he accepted YouTube’s apology, although he told Fox News about why the clip was targeted by the Google-owned company.
In addition to graphic scenes that depict Taliban violence, the video also poked fun at Biden, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, and Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley
“To not show said Taliban atrocities in any artistic statement on Afghanistan would be a gross injustice to the victims and enable the Taliban’s ongoing persecution of 40 million Afghan citizens,” he also wrote on Twitter. “That YouTube took down the video after 5 days, as it was growing in reach, should concern anyone who values free speech and advocacy for humanitarian causes.”
