Mark Meechan Scottish YouTuber Date of Birth: . Country: Great Britain

1. An Unlikely Internet Sensation
2. Arrest and Conviction
3. Defiance and Charity
4. Political Pursuits
5. Personal Life

An Unlikely Internet Sensation

Scottish YouTuber and former UK Independence Party (UKIP) candidate for the European Parliament, Mark Meechan, has garnered significant media attention for his controversial videos. Using the pseudonym Count Dankula, Meechan rose to prominence for posting a video in which he trained his girlfriend's pug to raise its paw in a Nazi salute and respond to the phrase, "Gas the Jews?"

Arrest and Conviction

Meechan's video sparked a public outcry and led to his arrest and conviction in March 2018 under the Communications Act 2003 for "grossly offensive conduct." The case sparked debates about freedom of speech, with Meechan maintaining that the video was intended as a joke. In April 2018, Meechan was fined £800.

Defiance and Charity

Meechan refused to pay the fine, instead donating £800 to Glasgow Children's Hospital Charity. However, in March 2019, the money was seized from his bank account under an arrestment warrant.

Political Pursuits

Politically, Meechan identifies as a libertarian. In June 2018, he joined UKIP alongside fellow YouTubers Carl Benjamin and Paul Joseph Watson, in what Watson termed an attempt at a "soft coup."

In 2019, Meechan announced his intention to run for the European Parliament as a UKIP candidate. He was placed fourth on the UKIP Scotland list but was not elected, as UKIP gained only 1.8% of the vote in Scotland. Meechan subsequently left UKIP, citing internal disputes and betrayal within the party's leadership as reasons for his departure.

Personal Life

Meechan married in 2019 and became a father to a daughter in 2021 and another in 2023.