Patreon — an online fundraising platform — shut down Lauren Southern’s fundraising profile on Friday, describing her activities as “likely to cause loss of life.”
Patreon sent Southern the following email:
Hi Lauren,
My name is Max and I am a member of the Trust and Safety team at patreon.
Here at Patreon we believe in freedom of speech. We are creating a platform that empowers creators to share and debate ideas. When ideas cross into action, though, we sometimes must take a closer look at what our creators are doing with the funds they earn through Patreon.
It appears that you are currently raising funds in order to take part in activities that are likely to cause loss of life. We have therefore decided to remove your page from Patreon, and paid out your final balance of $95.00 to you.
We understand that this will come as a disappointment. Please know that we have come to this decision after a long review process and will not consider an appeal.
Thank you for your understanding.
Regards,
Patreon Trust+Safey
Watch Southern’s description of events below.
Southern plans on reporting operations conducted by Defend Europe, an organization describing itself as working against non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that materially support both illegal immigration and human smuggling into Europe.
Via Defend Europe’s website:
Every week, every day, every hour – ships packed with illegal Immigrants are flooding into European waters. An invasion is taking place. This massive immigration is changing the face of our continent. We are losing our safety and our way of life and there is a danger we Europeans will become a minority in our own European homelands.
We want to start an identitarian search-and-rescue (SAR) mission in July on the Libyan coast. Our goal is to document the doings of the NGOs, expose their collaboration with the human smugglers, and intervene if they do something illegal.
We will reach out to the Libyan Coast Guard and offer them our help as a recon ship. Our goal is to step in where our politicians are failing and to do what is necessary to stop the deadly illegal migration into Europe.
If we get an SOS signal, we will of course save the people in distress — and hand them over to the Libyan Coast Guard to make sure that they are brought to the closest harbour, according to international law. We will not enter territorial waters without their permission!
Defend Europe will make the Mediterrenean Sea more safe. An additional ship is able to answer SOS calls and our “No Way” policy for illegal immigration will discourage human traffickers and NGOs to lure people into the sea.
The closing of the Mediterranean route is the only way to Defend Europe and save lives. The only way to get Defend Europe started is with your help!
“Patreon has no interest in the truth,” said Southern, describing Patreon’s decision as ideologically driven by left-wing considerations.
“It’s Going Down” is a fundraising profile currently active on Patreon, describing itself as “[a] digital community center from anarchist, anti-fascist, anti-capitalist and anti-colonial movements. Our mission is to provide an autonomous and resilient platform to publicize and promote revolutionary theory and action.”
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Patreon claims to collect an average of 5% of funds sent across its platform from patrons to content creators.
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