Alex Trelinski
ALICANTE City Council wants to close down YouTuber Nil Ojeda’s video channels after a viral challenge encouraging followers to stage fake beach drownings to win gifts from his clothing brand.
The authority will file a series of complaints with the Public Prosecutor’s Office after the Spaniard’s challenge led to several incidents in July at the city’s Postiguet and San Juan beaches.
The bogus alerts caused great concern and confusion among lifeguards who left their surveillance posts numerous times to sort out the fake incidents while yellow warning flags were flying.
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Two young people were fined in August by the Guardia Civil for faking incidents further south at a Guardamar de Segura beach.
Nil Ojeda has a big following on YouTube and launched his challenge with the words: “Find the rescue professional, get in front of it and start acting drowned in the water.”
The Alicante government team referred his actions to their legal department who concluded that his behaviour may have constituted a crime of simulation of simulating danger as it led to unjustifiably mobilising emergency services.
The lawyers also believe that a law on public shows in the Valencian Community may have been violated by organising an event that compromises public safety without any prior authorisation as well as breaking Alicante laws that prohibits dangerous activities in public places.
Another angle is that the national ‘influencer law’ may have been contravened, which incited the committing of a crime via audiovisual communication.
Besides seeking to close down his YouTube and social media channels, Alicante council wants prosecutors to sanction Nil Ojeda for breaking regional and municipal entertainment laws, as well as referring any ‘influence law’ transgressions to national authorities.
