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\u201cYou are all free! You don\u2019t need permission to be happy!\u201d(Image: Marianna Longo)<\/p>\nSixteen years ago, Charlie Veitch stood on pavements offering hugs, hope and a homemade philosophy of freedom. Today, he marches through Manchester flanked by bodyguards, a camera pointed at the city\u2019s most vulnerable. James Holt reports.<\/p>\n
09:40, 27 Nov 2025Updated 15:11, 28 Nov 2025<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are all free! You don\u2019t need permission to be happy!\u201d(Image: Marianna Longo)<\/p>\n
It\u2019s 2009 and Charlie Veitch is talking about the truth.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s important in life is truth\u201d, he says. \u201cAnd truth to me equals freedom. If you know the truth about yourself, then nobody can really hurt you. Nobody can take that away from you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Over the last 16 years Veitch has been on a significant philosophical journey. In the grainy home video at the end of the first decade of the new millennium he was explaining why he makes his content. He talks about his \u2018duty\u2019 to \u2018make a difference in the world\u2019 and continue with his \u2018spiritual\u2019 work.<\/p>\n
At that point the YouTuber was growing an online following through his public activism on the streets of London. Fundamentally, it all started out as a message of hope.<\/p>\n
It was a time when Veitch would hug strangers and bellow into a megaphone.<\/p>\n
He may have occasionally wrestled his way into the headlines, including being arrested for a planned demonstration at the Royal Wedding, but his message was often humorous, sometimes generous – and rarely offensive. It resonated deeply with those who watched it.<\/p>\n
His aim, he says, was to encourage people to question the world around them. To think about inequality and areas where their life felt unjust. To help pull themselves up out of challenging times.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThe truth is, we live in a world where energy can never escape”(Image: Marianna Longo)<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to express my views about what I think the reality is that we live in and what we can do, if anything,\u201d he says in that early video.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople feel discouraged or downtrodden, and that maybe we\u2019re losing this and that the world is going back towards another fascist, controlled world where the common man is beaten down and rich people prevail while good men die like dogs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe truth is, we live in a world where energy can never escape. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt falls into my logic to know that whenever things get really bad, it allows the opportunity for the really good to match it. It allows the opportunity for the most glorious freedom to rear its head amongst the swamps of inequality, swamps of evil.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo matter how far down the rabbit hole you go or how shallow you live your life, there will always be an opportunity for you to do good. To live your life with honour and do the best day by day,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n
\u2018Welcome to Manchester guys\u2019.<\/strong><\/p>\n Fast forward to 2025 and Veitch is in his regular haunt – Piccadilly Gardens.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope I captured that tackle. That was quite an effective tackle,\u201d he can be heard to say in a video posted to his YouTube channel.<\/p>\n Entitled: ‘Theatre: Extremely bad things happen in Piccadilly Gardens’, it appears to show a man being pulled to the ground by a police officer as Veitch films and encourages onlookers to pose beside the police van.<\/p>\n What begins as a routine arrest quickly turns into a spectacle – now viewed more than 600,000 times.<\/p>\n When a passer-by tells Veitch someone has been stabbed and an air ambulance lands, he can be heard to say: \u201cSomeone\u2019s been stabbed? Welcome to Manchester guys\u201d.<\/p>\n He turns his camera on the suspect in the van, asking: \u201cIs this the stabbing suspect?\u201d The man pleads with police to move Veitch away. The arresting officer refers to the YouTuber by his first name.<\/p>\n Everyone around here knows Charlie.<\/p>\n Exploitation and confrontation.<\/strong><\/p>\n These days Veitch regularly roams northern towns and cities, camera in hand, filming confrontations later uploaded to his page under provocative titles. His prolific YouTube output captures some of the most difficult moments for Manchester\u2019s most vulnerable people.<\/p>\n They are asylum seekers, rough sleepers, people trapped in the grip of addiction.<\/p>\n The videos show rough sleepers being filmed in close-up without consent while terms like \u201ccrackhead\u2019 pepper the content. Other output depicts protesters being goaded.<\/p>\n Veitch can be heard branding migrants as \u201crapists, illegals and people who want to wreck the culture\u201d.<\/p>\n Videos show him zooming in on individuals to critique their appearance. He does all this while flanked, these days, by personal security guards.<\/p>\n \u2018Crackhead capital of the world\u2019.<\/strong><\/p>\n In one video entitled: ‘Very Big Trouble in Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester’, Veitch walks through what he has dubbed \u201cCrackhead Gardens.”<\/p>\n \u201cGive it a moment until the crackheads see me,\u201d he says. He films a woman, calling her a \u201chigh quality female,\u201d and confronts a homeless man, saying: \u201cWe all know it\u2019s for drugs. Don\u2019t bother with the lies and bulls***.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot only the city that never sleeps, it’s also the crackhead capital of the world,\u201d Veitch says.<\/p>\n In another video ‘The Bodyguard Defeats the Balaclava Boy Menace’, he can be heard describing two women in burkas as being \u201cdressed like medieval executioners\u201d.<\/p>\n Another clip, titled \u2018Slap & Kick Man\u2019, shows a man in a balaclava approaching Veitch and asking him to \u201cdelete the video from before\u201d. Veitch\u2019s security guard can be seen slapping the man to the side of the face and kicking him in the stomach before running off.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you Fred for saving me there, he came for you with a knife in his pocket. Good on you,\u201d Veitch can be heard saying.<\/p>\n Veitch\u2019s content has been viewed millions of times. He has 815,000 subscribers and his videos attract thousands of comments from viewers who post encouragement such as: \u201cKeep up the great work Charlie\u201d and: \u201cThis is the video of the year!\u201d<\/p>\n These days, Veitch says he aims to \u201cexpose darkness and tell the truth\u201d. But his critics say he is profiteering from the exploitation of vulnerable people.<\/p>\n \u2018Humiliation isn\u2019t awareness\u2019.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cPiccadilly Gardens has become a stage for exploitation. People battling addiction, homelessness, or mental health issues are baited until they react. Then their worst moments are uploaded for profit,\u201d says YouTuber Marty Hardy.<\/p>\n He makes his money in the same trade as Veitch, but the content on his I.E Media YouTube channel is vastly different.<\/p>\n \u201cHumiliation isn\u2019t \u2018awareness\u2019; it deepens shame and pushes people further into crisis,\u201d Marty says. \u201cWhat it needs is proper intervention, not provocation.\u201d<\/p>\n Marty believes Veitch\u2019s videos \u201clift headlines, reframe incidents and turn sensitive issues into theatre\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s usually a grain of truth, but it\u2019s buried under exaggeration and spin. It’s a performance that shapes real opinions with distorted narratives,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Marty argues that Veitch\u2019s videos often show snippets of \u201cdrama\u201d instead of the \u201cfull picture\u201d. He says just because filming in a public place is legal, it \u201cshouldn\u2019t be seen as a free pass\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve spoken to visitors who say they\u2019re too scared to go near Piccadilly Gardens because of what they\u2019ve seen online – and that\u2019s just not the reality,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n “It also raises serious safeguarding concerns. Some of these people have been moved to new areas for their own safety, yet they\u2019re being exposed online without consent.<\/p>\n “Families could stumble across those videos and see a loved one at their lowest point, and in some cases, children could end up seeing a parent who\u2019s fallen on hard times. The damage that can do mentally is huge. A public place shouldn\u2019t be seen as a free pass.<\/p>\n “It\u2019s happening daily and it\u2019s monetised. But the law shouldn\u2019t even have to spell it out. Just because you can film someone doesn\u2019t mean you should.\u201d<\/p>\n Veitch is not the only content creator to focus attention on Piccadilly Gardens and Manchester city centre, but he is without a doubt the best known.<\/p>\n Marty says his actions \u201ctaint\u201d everyone with a camera.<\/p>\n \u201cGenuine vloggers and documentary makers get side-eyed because people assume we\u2019re there to provoke. It\u2019s shrinking public trust and making street filming harder for decent creators,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople need to think, use common sense, and realise a lot of people are just scared, stuck in an algorithm that only shows one side of the story, and unsure where this is all heading.<\/p>\n “Others copy it, tensions rise, and we\u2019ve already seen viral clips where that so-called protection ends up in violent situations.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen they turn up with multiple guards, their confidence shoots up, and so does the chance of a clash. That\u2019s not journalism; it\u2019s intimidation, and it\u2019s only a matter of time before someone gets seriously hurt.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s basic human decency: if someone says they don\u2019t want to be filmed, step back and move on. Most confrontations would vanish with a bit of respect and common sense. It\u2019s not \u2018never film\u2019; it\u2019s knowing when to stop.\u201d<\/p>\n “I want people to ask why is this popping up?”<\/strong><\/p>\n Other detractors claim Veitch creates a false perception of Manchester – portraying it as a gloomy landscape in the grip of conflict and chaos.<\/p>\n Local leaders have aired concern about the actions of Veitch and other YouTube content creators. Mayor Andy Burnham was recently asked about YouTubers like Veitch during his BBC Hotseat phone-in.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not that there are not social problems and crime-related issues, there are,\u201d he said. \u201cBut the regular videos\u2026I want people to ask why is this popping up?<\/p>\n \u201cThey are promoting a negative image of the city and they are doing it for political reasons. We do not need agent provocateurs.\u201d<\/p>\n And at a recent panel about safety in the city, the mayor said the modern phenomenon \u2018needs to be challenged\u2019.<\/p>\n “Why is there this impression [of Manchester]? We have a modern phenomenon going on in the city which we need to start challenging more directly,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n “It’s people who call themselves citizen journalists, auditors, and they are out there on our streets behaving provocatively in terms of how they go about things, creating content which they sell for a large return.\u201d<\/p>\n Burnham has urged members of the public not to engage with content creators and says their purpose is to \u2018generate social media content and portray a misleading picture of our city region\u2019.<\/p>\n Council leaders say the trend of YouTubers allegedly exploiting vulnerable adults is \u2018concerning\u2019 and said the online content \u2018only serves to exaggerate and distort perceptions\u2019.<\/p>\n How it started…<\/strong><\/p>\n Veitch was born to a Brazilian father and Scottish mother and was educated at the University of Edinburgh. In a 2014 documentary with Mohnish Patel, he described his upbringing as \u201csafely middle class\u201d providing a \u201cvery happy childhood\u201d.<\/p>\n He studied business and finance but switched degrees to philosophy – later working in finance before being made redundant and becoming a self-proclaimed anarchist with a camera in hand.<\/p>\n Early in his career, he stirred up controversy by claiming that the 9\/11 terror attacks were faked by the US government. He later confessed he no longer held that belief.<\/p>\n Today his bread and butter comes from documenting various town and city centre confrontations. But 15 years ago, his content was starkly different. With a multicoloured peace flag flying in the wind behind him, Veitch shouts into a megaphone.<\/p>\n \u201cLadies and gentleman, I am speaking here today, not because I am anyone special,\u201d he bellows to the streets of London.<\/p>\n \u201cI am speaking here today [because] there comes a time when an individual man can not stay silent any longer, when he sees injustice in the world around him.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s 2010. The YouTuber is raising awareness about the Gaza war.<\/p>\n Veitch\u2019s mission <\/strong>at this stage in his career <\/strong>is activism. He appears keen to highlight social injustice. As such, The Love Police movement was born.<\/p>\n Part performance group, part social experiment, the movement aimed to use humour, love and \u201chugs\u201d as part of a peaceful and creative protest to challenge authority and encourage members of the public to think for themselves.<\/p>\n Veitch gained mass attention, admitting the movement \u201cmade people stop and think\u201d in a world where there were \u201clots of lies being told\u201d.<\/p>\n Discussing people\u2019s negative reactions to him in the short form BBC documentary \u2018The Man with the Megaphone\u2019, Veitch says his \u2018confidence\u2019 and determination to \u2018do what he thinks is right\u2019 has always offended his critics.<\/p>\n \u201cHow miserable are their lives that they\u2019re trying to hurt a guy who, at the end of the day, what do I do? I have no political power. I just go out with a megaphone, I go out filming.\u201d<\/p>\n Veitch used megaphones, signs and peaceful public performances to divert people from what he saw as fear-based control systems by the police, media and government. He had regular run-ins with police officers who saw his work as a disruption.<\/p>\n And he would deliver messages through a megaphone with sentiments like: \u201cYou are all free! You don\u2019t need permission to be happy!\u201d<\/p>\n Back then, his content was more overtly philosophical and idealistic.<\/p>\n …how it\u2019s going<\/strong><\/p>\n Today, Veitch\u2019s content divides opinion more than ever. It focuses on street-drama with a more confrontational and antagonistic tone. Filming in UK cities – particularly in his adopted home of Manchester – he tours public spaces, camera in hand, while narrating. His following has steadily ballooned now with more than 800,000 loyal fans eagerly watching his every move.<\/p>\n His messages of hope and positivity have been subsumed by a new style of content. One which courts controversy as Veitch battles for views in a crowded streaming market.<\/p>\n \u201cBack then, he had a message, questioning authority, offering free hugs, spreading a bit of joy, and getting people to think,\u201d Marty Hardy says. \u201cNow it\u2019s all about confrontation and clicks.<\/p>\n “It\u2019s gone from light-hearted activism to a kind of psychological spectacle, where viewers get a buzz from seeing people belittled, abused, and exploited. That\u2019s not entertainment.\u201d<\/p>\n Marty claims that by painting migrants as \u201cthreats\u201d and homeless people as \u201ccrackheads\u201d, Veitch is inflaming already tense situations.<\/p>\n \u201cThe comments say it all. Towards homeless people and those struggling with addiction, it\u2019s stuff like \u2018crackies’ or just outright calling them \u2018scum.\u2019\u201d he says.<\/p>\n “And on the protest videos, it\u2019s the same tone with people being called \u2018traitors,\u2019 \u2018groomers,\u2019 or \u2018terrorist sympathisers.\u2019 That kind of language strips people of their humanity and fuels division.\u201d<\/p>\n One recent upload focuses on protests outside migrant hotels and in Manchester city centre.<\/p>\n In ‘Bodyguards Ambushed: Pigeon-Nose and Ponytail Islamocommies’, protestors can be seen chanting \u201cNazi scum\u201d as Veitch calls Stand Up To Racism a \u201clefty organisation\u201d defending \u201ccriminal migrants.\u201d<\/p>\n Outside a hotel in Oldham housing asylum seekers, he claims: \u201cThe lefties with their red flags are here to say \u2018f you English people – we\u2019ll bring in as many rapists, illegals and people who want to wreck the culture as they can.\u201d<\/p>\n He is then seen approaching the group directly and edging closer, shouting \u201cgood morning lefties\u201d – before proceeding to push them back.<\/p>\n He can be seen directly aiming his camera, along with another YouTuber Billy Moore, and a pro-immigration protestor, and heard saying: \u201cbe careful, she\u2019s angry\u201d.<\/p>\n The monetisation of misery.<\/strong><\/p>\n Andy Burnham says he has serious concerns about content curators who make money by exploiting the region\u2019s most vulnerable. When contacted by the M.E.N about Veitch, he said YouTubers can be \u2018disruptive\u2019 and \u2018cause distress\u2019 in the city region and beyond.<\/p>\n A spokesperson for the Mayor of Greater Manchester said: “Sadly, there are individuals in Greater Manchester going out of their way to film and deliberately provoke people in order to generate social media content and portray a misleading picture of our city region.<\/p>\n “This behaviour is disruptive, it causes distress and poses a risk to people’s safety.<\/p>\n “Greater Manchester Police is aware of this phenomenon and will work with partners to address these issues, and they have the full support of the Mayor.<\/p>\n “We would encourage everyone to follow their advice, and not to engage with this kind of behaviour when they see it.” But the mayor will have a hard time convincing Veitch\u2019s most loyal fans.<\/p>\n A spectacle of \u2018bigoted harassment\u2019.<\/strong><\/p>\n For anti-racist campaigning group Hope Not Hate, the biggest concern with Veitch\u2019s content is that they \u201cdehumanise\u201d the subjects.<\/p>\n One representative of the group – who asked not to be named – claims Veitch shares \u201cbigoted misinformation\u201d, harasses counter protesters and allows his bodyguard to physically assault members of the public.<\/p>\n \u201cHe engages in the maximum level of provocation,\u201d she says. \u201cHe antagonises others with juvenile insults, while his bodyguard\u2019s presence allows him to speak without fear.<\/p>\n “The prank-like and antagonistic nature of Veitch\u2019s content might call into question the sincerity of his views.<\/p>\n \u201cWhether his views are genuine makes no difference to those he harasses, or the thousands of people who watch his videos.<\/p>\n \u201cVeitch and YouTubers like him make a spectacle of bigoted harassment. He is able to create dramatic content which dehumanises those he targets.<\/p>\n \u201cThe people in his videos become fodder for views, with little regard for the real-world impact of normalising street harassment.\u201d<\/p>\n Jamie Lilley, Founder of Manchester-based charity Cold Hands Warm Hearts, an outreach group providing food, clothing, and essential items to the homeless community in the city, said videos like those posted by Veitch ‘provoke people to portray them negatively’.<\/p>\n “On several occasions, when we\u2019ve attempted to assist homeless individuals, they have expressed significant agitation and anger. Upon speaking with them, they often recount experiences where someone recorded them provocatively and intrusively”, he said.<\/p>\n “To be frank, individuals experiencing homelessness are extremely vulnerable and already face numerous challenges in their lives. They certainly don\u2019t need someone with a camera provoking them to portray them negatively.<\/p>\n “We\u2019ve even witnessed women break down in tears, expressing, \u201cThis is not the life I\u2019ve chosen. What gives them the right to film me?\u201d It\u2019s crucial for people to recognize that we are all human. “<\/p>\n Trouble often follows.<\/strong><\/p>\n This poses a conundrum for local leaders in the cities targeted by Veitch.<\/p>\n If they condemn his content as inflammatory, they risk drawing it to the attention of people who didn\u2019t even realise he existed.<\/p>\n For Manchester Council, one of the most galling aspects of his output is what they see as the misrepresentation of the city.<\/p>\n A Manchester City Council spokesperson told us: \u201cThe trend of some YouTubers \u2013 both those with large followings and would-be imitators \u2013 generating content by filming vulnerable adults such as people experiencing homelessness, and sometimes provoking situations, is a concerning one.<\/p>\n \u201cWe know that many of the voluntary and community sector organisations working to support vulnerable people share this concern.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile there are of course real social issues here which we and partners are working to address, such online content is not constructive and only serves to exaggerate and distort perceptions.”<\/p>\n But Veitch\u2019s content does shape perceptions of Manchester – particularly in areas like Piccadilly Gardens.<\/p>\n And his methods attract a lot of hostility. Passers-by or counter-protesters regularly clash with him. Where Veitch goes, trouble often follows.<\/p>\n He now appears to employ personal bodyguards to protect him during confrontations.<\/p>\n In his video ‘Scum Wars: The Crackhead Menace ft. Elbow Man’, Veitch says, \u201cAs the threat level has increased, so has my protection.<\/p>\n \u201cTo anyone who wishes to do us harm, I don\u2019t think you should try.\u201d<\/p>\n In other videos, Veitch refers to pro-Palestine protestors as \u201cthe crazy people,\u201d calling them \u201cscumbags\u201d who \u201csupport Hamas.\u201d<\/p>\n Picking up a \u201cTrans rights\u201d leaflet, he mocks, \u201cladies with c*** and balls,\u201d and when accused of being \u201chomophobic, transphobic and racist,\u201d he replies:<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll be transphobic, but I ain\u2019t no homophobe.\u201d<\/p>\n Walking through Manchester\u2019s Gay Village, he describes the Pride bunting as \u201cpropaganda flags\u201d and adds: \u201cI\u2019ve got a lot of gay viewers\u2026 conservative gays and even the lefty gays.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you very much for your support, and we will stand alongside you – not directly in front of you, no homo – against the cult that is trying to say some people are in the wrong body.\u201d<\/p>\n In the Northern Quarter, Veitch tells his bodyguards to \u201creverse,\u201d later claiming they were assaulted. Footage appears to show one of his team pulling a protestor\u2019s hair, sparking a wider scuffle.<\/p>\n Videos show Veitch talking to those sleeping rough, interacting with fans and the regular confrontations with angry street locals or protestors who vehemently oppose his views.<\/p>\n In ‘Picc Gardens Crackies’, he mocks a man\u2019s voice and tells another he \u201cneeds a dentist,\u201d prompting the man to throw a beer can. Veitch calls him a \u201cdisgusting pig.\u201d<\/p>\n In ‘Feral Urban Balaclava Runts: The Ongoing Stabby Menace\u2019, Veitch zooms in on a young man, calling him a \u201cstabbo illegal migrant.\u201d Approaching him, he says: \u201cI hope England has been good to you guys. I hope you got your \u00a350 HMV voucher, your free phone and all the good stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n Many of those who have entered the UK will have fled war or persecution in their home country. Every individual life story is different, and where we are born is pot luck.<\/p>\n But this is the same Veitch who once claimed his determination to offer a glimmer of hope for those battling \u2018inequality and evil\u2019.<\/p>\n In \u2018Keep The Pressure On The Migrant Hotels\u2019, Veitch claims \u201cs***hole countries\u201d are \u201cemptying prisons, putting them on a boat and saying \u2018you\u2019re going to go live a new life in England, Mr Rapey boy, Mr Murder boy\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n And in \u2018Not Today: Mass Arrests & Antifa Ambush\u2019 – which has been viewed more than 1.5m times – Veitch asks: \u201cHow does a toddler decide it wants to take gender bending chemicals and sterilise itself?\u201d<\/p>\n Gender-affirming surgery is not available to those under 18 and cross-sex hormones can only be prescribed to those aged 16 and over under specific guidelines.<\/p>\n A growing trend.<\/strong><\/p>\n YouTubers like Veitch also pose problems for Greater Manchester Police. They say \u201cprovoking incidents\u201d can make things much harder for officers.<\/p>\n Assistant Chief Constable Chris Sykes says: \u201cWe\u2019re aware of the growing trend in our city-region of people provoking incidents which they can film and upload online for their own personal gain. These incidents often involve our own officers and make some really challenging scenarios even more complex.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere we can, we look to work with partners to address these behaviours that can cause disruption or distress for the public. Of course, we operate within the law as it stands, and our powers are limited where no crime is committed.<\/p>\n \u201cOur focus remains on proactive, community-led policing where local neighbourhood teams are engaging with residents and partners to tackle the issues that matter most to our communities.<\/p>\n \u201cWe aim to reduce the types of incidents that attract unwanted attention and ensure Greater Manchester is a safe, welcoming place for all who live, visit, and work in our city-region.\u201d<\/p>\n A strange journey.<\/strong><\/p>\n Back in Piccadilly Gardens, there are scenes of chaos.<\/p>\n A man has been stabbed. Another is running across the busy city centre park being chased by police officers. An air ambulance is circling overhead, bringing with it destructive winds.<\/p>\n And at the centre of it all, camera tightly gripped, is Veitch.<\/p>\n Passers-by are calling his name or giving him a thumbs up. A group of teenage boys in balaclavas, unphased by the man being tackled to the ground in front of them, recognise Veitch instantly and want to be in on all the action. A suspect, sitting in the back of a van, is probed with a lens.<\/p>\n For Veitch, it\u2019s just another viral hit. It\u2019s a chance to be front and centre of unfolding chaos. A snippet of one of Manchester city centre\u2019s busiest areas. It\u2019s a stark contrast from the positivity and activism some 16 years ago.<\/p>\n Back then viewers commented thanking him for his messages. One said his work helped them with their depression. Another commented that Veitch had \u2018made them cry\u2019 with the \u2018heartfelt\u2019 content. Another added: \u201cWe definitely as humans need more messages like this from people with a big followings like you do.\u201d<\/p>\n A comment under the \u2018Why I Make Videos\u2019 post states: \u201cThank you Charlie, peaceful warrior for freedom of the mind (soul) Wonderful realization that we are eternal spiritual beings\u201d.<\/p>\n Another comment, which demonstrates that YouTube\u2019s algorithm is still serving the video up now, was posted just last week and serves as a stark illustration of Veitch\u2019s strange journey: \u201cWith age comes clarity. Charles is calling out the bulls*it now, instead of just pondering it.\u201d<\/p>\n Veitch\u2019s motivations these days aren\u2019t as clear as when he started out, and when we asked him about them he didn\u2019t want to be part of this story – but wished us luck with it.<\/p>\n Back in Piccadilly Gardens amid the swirling storm of a culture war, rhetoric and provocation, Charlie Veitch stands watching, talking, arguing and, as always, filming.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Sixteen years ago, Charlie Veitch stood on pavements offering hugs, hope and a homemade philosophy of freedom. Today,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":600176,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8813],"tags":[8916,748,393,4884,2465,8086,16429,11653,16,15,185318,1737],"class_list":{"0":"post-600175","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-manchester","8":"tag-andy-burnham","9":"tag-britain","10":"tag-england","11":"tag-great-britain","12":"tag-manchester","13":"tag-manchester-city-centre","14":"tag-piccadilly-gardens","15":"tag-premium","16":"tag-uk","17":"tag-united-kingdom","18":"tag-unmissable","19":"tag-youtube"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115629998614609972","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/600175","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=600175"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/600175\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/600176"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=600175"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=600175"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=600175"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/2_JH_MEN_24112_veitch_02.jpg\")
Veitch is not the only content creator to focus attention on Piccadilly Gardens but he is without a doubt the best known.(Image: Marianna Longo)<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/2_JH_MEN_24112_veitch_03.jpg\")
“This behaviour is disruptive, it causes distress and poses a risk to people’s safety.”(Image: Marianna Longo)<\/p>\n![\"Veitch's](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/3_JH_MEN_24112_veitch.jpg\")
Veitch’s content is watched by over 800,000 subscribers(Image: Marianna Longo)<\/p>\n