YOUTUBE HAS REMOVED five channels run by Myanmar’s military for violating guidelines, it announced, as demonstrators defied growing violence by security forces and staged more anti-coup protests ahead of a special UN Security Council meeting on the country’s political crisis.

YouTube said it is watching for any further content that might violate its rules. It earlier pulled dozens of channels as part of an investigation into content uploaded in a co-ordinated influence campaign.

The decision by YouTube to remove Myawaddy Media, MRTV, WD Online Broadcasting, MWD Variety and MWD Myanmar followed Facebook’s earlier announcement that it had removed all Myanmar military-linked pages from its site and from Instagram, which it owns.

The escalation of violence by security forces has put pressure on the world community to act to restrain the junta, which seized power on February 1 by ousting the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Large protests against military rule have occurred daily in many cities and towns, and security forces escalated their crackdown this week with greater use of lethal force and mass arrests.

At least 18 protesters were shot dead on Sunday and 38 on Wednesday, according to the UN Human Rights Office.

More than 1,000 people have been arrested, the independent Assistance Association for Political Prisoners said.

Protests continued in the country’s biggest cities, Yangon and Mandalay, and elsewhere on Friday, and were again met with force by police. Gunfire was heard in some areas, and 26-year-old Zaw Myo was shot dead in Mandalay while he and other residents tried to protect a march by a group of engineers.

Many cases of targeted brutality have been captured in photos and videos that have circulated on social media. Videos have showed security forces shooting people at point-blank range and chasing and savagely beating demonstrators.