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Protestors target Google over that video

Thousands insist YouTube should take down offensive film

Google's London office was barricaded on Sunday, after thousands of protestors marched in protest against youTube's continued hosting of the controversial film, The Innocence of Muslims.

London's Daily Telegraph says 10,000 protestors participated. The BBC preferred a figure of “up to 3500” and says the peaceful protest aimed to pressure Google into removing the film from YouTube.

The Muslim Action Forum, a group created in response to the film's release, organised the event (promotional poster here). The group's manifesto “Unreservedly condemns the preposterous film vilifying Islam and desecrating the sanctity of the Holy Prophet Mohammad peace be upon Him” and “Calls for all civilised fellow human beings to join in the ‘Campaign for Global Civility’”.

Protestors told the BBC and Telegraph they intend to organise other actions and will persist until the video is removed.

The core of the group's position is that free speech has gone too far when videos like this are acceptable. That attitude, protestors said, mean we have entered an "age of mockery". Protestors therefore made a call for all religions to come together and develop an approach to this kind of material.

YouTube, for its part, continues to insist the film breaches none of its guidelines.

That position has led to the site – and that of parent company Google - being blocked by some nations. ®

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