Charity event postponed as YouTube flags video premiere

The much-anticipated streaming of this year's Down Syndrome Buddy Walk and virtual concert was postponed after the video's premiere on YouTube was blocked.

The Buddy Walk is an annual athletic event hosted by the Down Syndrome Family Network (DSFN) in TT, which aims to raise awareness and advocates the inclusion and representation of the differently abled in society.

This year's Buddy Walk has been an ongoing event since October 5 and was held at the Nelson Mandela Park, St Clair.

Owing to the covid19 pandemic, it was pre-recorded and set to stream on Sunday at 5 pm, however, shortly after being posted to the DSFN's YouTube channel, the video was blocked by the website on "copyright grounds."

Speaking with Newsday on Sunday, Glen Niles founder of the DSFN said he was not sure why the video was flagged as he thought all of the YouTube's copyright requirements for streaming videos were adhered to.

"It's saying that it was blocked on copyright grounds but we've dealt with all the copyright issues.

"It wasn't a live (video) clip, I'm one of the administrators I'm looking at it right now but no one else can see it. It's about raising awareness, if it's not being shown well there isn't anyone seeing it."

Up to late Sunday afternoon, Niles and others tried to resolve the technical issue.

The event marked the end of Down Syndrome Awareness Month with a virtual concert featuring performances by Nailah Blackman, Farmer Nappy, John Thomas, Nalini Akal, Jason Fridge Seecharan and Kevon Carter.

The Prime Minister’s wife Sharon Rowley and Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly also made appearances during the event.